Peritonitis Flashcards
What is the peritoneum?
the inner membrane that lines the abdominal cavity and abdominal organs
What are the two types of peritonitis:
1) spontaneous bacterial peritonitis
2) secondary peritonitis
What is the most common cause of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis?
a spontaneous infection of the ascites fluid that has built up as a result of liver or kidney failure
What is the most common cause of secondary peritonitis?
a ruptured organ in the abdomen which allows bacteria to enter the peritoneal cavity (appendicitis, pancreatitis, diverticulitis, ruptured stomach ulcer, perforated colon)
Other than organ rupture, give 3 other causes of secondary peritonitis:
1) trauma
2) GI surgery
3) peritoneal dialysis
Give 5 core clinical features of peritonitis:
1) severe abdominal pain
2) nausea and vomiting
3) loss of appetite
4) diarrhoea
5) fever
What is the key examination finding characteristic of peritonitis?
guarding/ Rebound tenderness/ Percussion tenderness
What dialysis finding indicates peritonitis?
cloudy dialysis fluid
Does peritonitis have an acute or chronic onset?
Acute
What are the 3 main management steps used to treat secondary peritonitis?
1) supportive management (analgesia, fluids, oxygen)
2) antibiotics (determined by severity and cause)
3) surgery (to remove the source of infection and control its spread)
What recommendation regarding dialysis use is made when a patient presents with peritoneal dialysis associated peritonitis?
switch to another form of dialysis until the infection has healed
What is peritoneal dialysis?
where the peritoneum is used as a natural filter of blood in end stage renal failure, where a catheter is inserted into the abdomen to introduce fluid that absorbs waste and excess fluid from the blood which is later discarded
What is peritonitis?
Inflammation of the peritoneum
- peritoneum = serous membrane lining the cavity of the abdomen, covering the abdominal organs
What are the 2 main causes of peritonitis and examples of each?
- infection
- spontaneous bacterial peritonitis
- peritoneal infection secondary to peritoneal dialysis
- uncomplicated appendicitis
- perforation of a hollow viscus
- perforated oesophagus
- perforated gastric or duodenal ulcer
What should be initiated in patients with suspected peritonitis?
SEPSIS 6
- due to being systemically very unwell