BACKGROUND: To study the effect of a Penrose's drain in the peritoneal cavity of 30 Wistar rats divided in three groups, each of them with 10 rats. METHODS: Thirty Wistar rats of the same sex were selected. They were submitted to the placement and fixation of the Penrose drain in the peritoneal cavity. The groups diferred among themselves only in terms of the euthanasia time considered: group I - euthanasia after 24 hours; group II - euthanasia after seven days; group III - euthanasia after 14 days. RESULTS: The formation of adherences were observed in all three groups of animals. In group I weak adherences were observed in six animals, moderate ones in two rats and strong adherences were observed in two rats. In group II weak adherences were observed in one animal, moderate ones in five rats and strong adherences in three animals. In group III, moderate adherences were present in six animals and strong ones were observed in four rats. CONCLUSION: The presence of the Penrose's drain in the peritoneal cavity of rats leads to the formation of adherences.
Drainage; Abdominal cavity; Rats, wistar
