Peritonitis
Peritonitis is inflammation of the peritoneum, the lining of the inner wall of the abdomen and cover of the abdominal organs.[1] If left untreated, it can be life-threatening.
| Peritonitis | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Surgical abdomen, acute abdomen[2] |
.jpg) | |
| Peritonitis from tuberculosis | |
| Pronunciation | |
| 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] |
Symptoms
[change | change source]Signs and symptoms may include:
- severe pain in the stomach[3]
- fever, or feeling hot and shivering[3]
- tachycardia (quick 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]
Causes
[change | change source]Include:[3]
- perforation of the intestinal tract
- pancreatitis
- pelvic inflammatory disease
- burst stomach ulcer
- cirrhosis
- ruptured appendix.
- digestive problems (example Chron's disease or diverticulitis)
- surgery
The lining of the stomach (peritoneum) covers internal organs like the kidneys, liver and bowel. If the lining becomes infected and you get peritonitis, the internal organs it covers can also be damaged.
Treatment
[change | change source]After a peritonitis diagnosis, treatment in hospital is needed to get rid of 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
[change | change source]References
[change | change source]- 1 2 "Peritonitis - National Library of Medicine". PubMed Health. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 Ferri, Fred F. (2017). Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2018 E-Book: 5 Books in 1. Elsevier Health Sciences. pp. 979–980. ISBN 9780323529570. Archived from the original on 2020-10-08. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Peritonitis". NHS. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
- 1 2 3 "Acute Abdominal Pain". Merck Manuals Professional Edition. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
- 1 2 "Acute Abdominal Pain". Merck Manuals Consumer Version. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
- ↑ "Encyclopaedia : Peritonitis". NHS Direct Wales. 25 April 2015. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
