Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Contributors
- Part I Clinical Syndromes – General
- Part II Clinical Syndromes – Head and Neck
- Part III Clinical Syndromes – Eye
- Part IV Clinical Syndromes – Skin and Lymph Nodes
- Part V Clinical Syndromes – Respiratory Tract
- Part VI Clinical Syndromes – Heart and Blood Vessels
- Part VII Clinical Syndromes – Gastrointestinal Tract, Liver, and Abdomen
- 42 Acute Viral Hepatitis
- 43 Chronic Hepatitis
- 44 Biliary Infection: Cholecystitis and Cholangitis
- 45 Pyogenic Liver Abscess
- 46 Infectious Complications of Acute Pancreatitis
- 47 Esophageal Infections
- 48 Gastroenteritis
- 49 Food Poisoning
- 50 Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea
- 51 Sexually Transmitted Enteric Infections
- 52 Acute Appendicitis
- 53 Diverticulitis
- 54 Abdominal Abscess
- 55 Splenic Abscess
- 56 Peritonitis
- 57 Whipple's Disease and Sprue
- Part VIII Clinical Syndromes – Genitourinary Tract
- Part IX Clinical Syndromes – Musculoskeletal System
- Part X Clinical Syndromes – Neurologic System
- Part XI The Susceptible Host
- Part XII HIV
- Part XIII Nosocomial Infection
- Part XIV Infections Related to Surgery and Trauma
- Part XV Prevention of Infection
- Part XVI Travel and Recreation
- Part XVII Bioterrorism
- Part XVIII Specific Organisms – Bacteria
- Part XIX Specific Organisms – Spirochetes
- Part XX Specific Organisms – Mycoplasma and Chlamydia
- Part XXI Specific Organisms – Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma
- Part XXII Specific Organisms – Fungi
- Part XXIII Specific Organisms – Viruses
- Part XXIV Specific Organisms – Parasites
- Part XXV Antimicrobial Therapy – General Considerations
- Index
56 - Peritonitis
from Part VII - Clinical Syndromes – Gastrointestinal Tract, Liver, and Abdomen
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 March 2013
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Contributors
- Part I Clinical Syndromes – General
- Part II Clinical Syndromes – Head and Neck
- Part III Clinical Syndromes – Eye
- Part IV Clinical Syndromes – Skin and Lymph Nodes
- Part V Clinical Syndromes – Respiratory Tract
- Part VI Clinical Syndromes – Heart and Blood Vessels
- Part VII Clinical Syndromes – Gastrointestinal Tract, Liver, and Abdomen
- 42 Acute Viral Hepatitis
- 43 Chronic Hepatitis
- 44 Biliary Infection: Cholecystitis and Cholangitis
- 45 Pyogenic Liver Abscess
- 46 Infectious Complications of Acute Pancreatitis
- 47 Esophageal Infections
- 48 Gastroenteritis
- 49 Food Poisoning
- 50 Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea
- 51 Sexually Transmitted Enteric Infections
- 52 Acute Appendicitis
- 53 Diverticulitis
- 54 Abdominal Abscess
- 55 Splenic Abscess
- 56 Peritonitis
- 57 Whipple's Disease and Sprue
- Part VIII Clinical Syndromes – Genitourinary Tract
- Part IX Clinical Syndromes – Musculoskeletal System
- Part X Clinical Syndromes – Neurologic System
- Part XI The Susceptible Host
- Part XII HIV
- Part XIII Nosocomial Infection
- Part XIV Infections Related to Surgery and Trauma
- Part XV Prevention of Infection
- Part XVI Travel and Recreation
- Part XVII Bioterrorism
- Part XVIII Specific Organisms – Bacteria
- Part XIX Specific Organisms – Spirochetes
- Part XX Specific Organisms – Mycoplasma and Chlamydia
- Part XXI Specific Organisms – Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma
- Part XXII Specific Organisms – Fungi
- Part XXIII Specific Organisms – Viruses
- Part XXIV Specific Organisms – Parasites
- Part XXV Antimicrobial Therapy – General Considerations
- Index
Summary
Peritonitis is inflammation of the serous lining of the peritoneal cavity. This inflammation may result from a response to microorganisms and/or chemical irritants, such as blood, bile, and pancreatic secretions. The peritoneal cavity is lubricated with 20 to 50 mL of clear yellow transudative fluid, normally with fewer than 300 cells/mm3 (consisting of mainly mononuclear cells), a specific gravity below 1.016, and protein (consisting of mainly albumin) below 3 g/dL.
In this chapter infectious causes of peritonitis are considered. Two major types of infective peritonitis exist: (1) primary (spontaneous or idiopathic) and (2) secondary. When signs of peritonitis and sepsis persist after treatment for secondary peritonitis and no pathogens or usually only low-grade pathogens are isolated, the clinical entity has been termed tertiary peritonitis. Intraperitoneal abscesses can result from (1) localization of the initially diffuse peritoneal inflammatory response to one or more dependent sites (ie, the pelvis, the right or left subphrenic spaces, which are separated by the falciform ligament, and Morrison's pouch, which is the most posterior superior portion of the subhepatic space and is the lowest part of the paravertebral groove when the patient is recumbent) or (2) at the site of the intra-abdominal source of the infection (eg, periappendiceal, pericholecystic, or peridiverticular abscess). Peritonitis may also result from the use of a peritoneal catheter for dialysis or central nervous system ventriculoperitoneal shunting. For management of peritoneal catheter-related peritonitis, see Chapter 94, Dialysis-Related Infection.
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- Chapter
- Information
- Clinical Infectious Disease , pp. 397 - 402Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2008