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]
Peritonitis from tuberculosis
Pronunciation	/pɛrɪtəˈnaɪtɪs/
Medical specialty	Emergency medicine, general surgery
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]

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]

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.

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]

• appendix
• gallbladder
• acid reflux