Abstract
Golytely (Braintree Laboratories, Braintree, Mass.) is a polyethylene glycol-electrolyte solution that has been successfully used for mechanical bowel preparation in both adults and children with no disturbance of fluid or electrolyte balance. This is the first prospective study in babies under the age of 3 months. A consecutive series of ten patients undergoing colonic surgery, with a mean age of 7.4 weeks (3–12) and mean weight of 4.28 kg (3.0–6.22), was studied. Following Golytely administration no significant changes in weight, electrolyte concentrations, or plasma osmolarity were observed. The bowel preparation as judged peroperatively was excellent in eight patients. No wound or abdominal sepsis was recorded. The mean time for Golytely administration to obtain clear rectal effluent was 5.4 h (4–8), eliminating the need for prolonged hospitalization for bowel preparation. We propose the Golytely is a safe and effective method of preoperative bowel preparation in babies.
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Correspondence to: R. A. Wheeler
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Wheeler, R.A., Davies, N., Griffiths, D.M. et al. The use of golytely for bowel cleansing in the first 3 months of life. Pediatr Surg Int 7, 364–365 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00176594
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00176594