The Routine Use of Diagnostic Laparoscopy in the Intensive Care Unit

Background: Delay in the diagnosis of intraabdominal pathology is a major contributor to the morbidity and mortality of intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Laparoscopy is a valuable diagnostic tool that can be used safely and efficiently in the evaluation of intraabdominal processes that may be difficult to diagnose with conventional methods. Our goal was to show that laparoscopy performed at the bedside in the ICU could be used as a routine diagnostic tool in the evaluation of critically ill patients, just as computed tomography (CT), ultrasonography (US), and radiography are.

Methods: We present 11 patients who underwent 12 bedside examinations in the ICU of a community teaching hospital. Several different surgeons with varying degrees of laparoscopic experience performed these procedures over a 1-year period.

Results: Four patients had previously undergone recent abdominal operations. Nontherapeutic laparotomy was avoided in six patients because of diagnostic laparoscopy. One patient also underwent a therapeutic maneuver at the time of diagnostic laparoscopy. None of the patients required general anesthesia, although local anesthetics and sedation with midazolam or propofol were used. One patient underwent the procedure without endotracheal intubation. There were no complications or mortalities directly related to the procedure.

Conclusion: We conclude that bedside laparoscopy in the ICU under local anesthesia is a diagnostic and potentially therapeutic tool that can be used safely in the work-up of potential abdominal pathology in critically ill patients.