Peritonitis
Peritonitis is inflammation of the peritoneum, the lining of the inner wall of the abdomen and cover of the abdominal organs.[1] The lining of the stomach (the peritoneum) covers internal organs like the kidneys, liver and bowel. If left untreated, peritonitis can be life-threatening.
| Peritonitis | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Surgical abdomen, acute abdomen[2] |
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| Peritonitis from tuberculosis | |
| Pronunciation | |
| Symptoms | Severe pain, swelling of the abdomen, fever[1][3] |
| Complications | Sepsis (sepsis is likely if not quickly treated), shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome[4][5] |
| Usual onset | Sudden[2] |
| Types | Primary, secondary, tertiary, generalized, localized[2] |
| Causes | Perforation of the intestinal tract, pancreatitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, cirrhosis, ruptured appendix[3] |
| Risk factors | Ascites, peritoneal dialysis[4] |
| Diagnostic method | Examination, blood tests, medical imaging[6] |
| Treatment | Antibiotics, intravenous fluids, pain medication, surgery[3][4] |
| Frequency | Relatively common[2] |
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms may include:
- severe pain in the stomach[3]
- fever, or feeling hot and shivering[3]
- tachycardia (fast heart rate)[3]
- trouble urinating or urinating less than usual[3]
- weight loss.[5]
There may also be swelling in the abdomen, feeling or being sick, and a loss of appetite.[3]
If peritonitis happens while kidney dialysis treatment is being used, the fluid in the collection bag might look cloudier than usual or contain white flecks.[3] These are white blood cells, and if blood samples were taken and tested then the test might show an increased white blood cell count (WBC) of >100 million cells/L, with half of the cells in the sample being neutrophils.[7]
Causes
Peritonitis causes include:[3]
- perforation of the intestinal tract
- pancreatitis
- pelvic inflammatory disease
- burst stomach ulcer
- cirrhosis
- ruptured appendix.
- digestive problems (example Crohn's disease or diverticulitis)
- surgery
If the lining becomes infected in someone with peritonitis, the internal organs it covers can also be damaged.
Treatment
After a peritonitis diagnosis, treatment in hospital is needed to cure the infection.Treatment usually involves being given antibiotics into a vein (intravenously).[3]
If regular kidney dialysis is ongoing, a doctor might discuss a different way of doing it until the peritonitis has been treated.[3]
Related pages
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Peritonitis - National Library of Medicine. PubMed Health. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Ferri, Fred F.. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2018 E-Book: 5 Books in 1 (in en) (2017)Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 979–980. ISBN 9780323529570. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 Peritonitis. NHS (28 September 2017). Retrieved 31 December 2017.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Acute Abdominal Pain. Merck Manuals Professional Edition. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Acute Abdominal Pain. Merck Manuals Consumer Version. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
- ↑ Encyclopaedia : Peritonitis. NHS Direct Wales (25 April 2015). Retrieved 31 December 2017.
- ↑ Fieren, Marien W. J. A.. Cloudy peritoneal dialysate: in search of a clear cause?. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology: JASN 24 (12) (2013-12). p. 1929–1931. doi:10.1681/ASN.2013080911.
