Peritonitis

Not to be confused with Periodontal disease.

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]
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]

Symptoms

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

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

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

• appendix
• gallbladder
• acid reflux