Intraperitoneal absorption of irrigating fluid during endometrial resection.

We report a situation where uterine perforation was followed by uptake of 4,540 ml of irrigating fluid into the peritoneal cavity during transcervical resection of the endometrium. The irrigating fluid contained 1.5% glycine and 1% ethanol. There was a seven-fold increase in serum glycine level during the resection, which was stopped after 40 min because ethanol had repeatedly been detected in the patient's expired breath. Diagnosis of the intraperitoneal absorption was made from the pattern of ethanol changes and confirmed by surgical drainage of the absorbed fluid, which was performed before serious symptoms developed.