Abstract
Associated with ileus there is a dehydration and hypochloremia due to the loss of fluids and chlorides in the gastric secretions which normally are reabsorbed. In order to remove these stagnant secretions which produce nausea and vomiting, continuous duodenal drainage is used clinically. An objection raised to continuous duodenal drainage has been that it is likely to increase dehydration and increase the loss of electrolytes.
Herrin and Meek 1 have shown that increased secretion results when the bowel is distended. Raine and Perry 2 observed that distention of the stomach with liquid albolene increased gastric secretion. Lim, Ivy, and McCarthy 3 observed an increased gastric secretion in dogs with stomach pouch preparations when continuous drainage was used. They believed that gastric tone constituted the adequate stimulus to secretion.
The present investigation was undertaken to study the effects of gastric distention on gastric secretion. Thirty-seven dogs were used. Only those surviving long enough for observations are included in the results. In each animal the esophagus was ligated near the cardia with umbilical tape, the jejunum was severed 8 cm. below the ligament of Treitz, and both ends were closed blindly. A cannula of the type described by Owings, et al., 4 was placed in the stomach in order that the gastric contents could be removed at will. The animals were given 70 cc. of Hartmann's solution per kilo of body weight per day. Blood chlorides were determined daily. The volume of each drainage was measured and the activity of each determined.
Fifteen observations were made upon 4 dogs which were drained continuously. The average daily secretion was 133 cc. The acidity of the specimens rose steadily until it was approximately 3 times the normal for these animals.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.