What is peritonitis?The peritoneum is the membrane that lines the abdominal cavity and surrounds the organs in the abdomen. Peritonitis occurs when this membrane becomes inflamed. It's more common in men than in women. SymptomsSymptoms usually appear quickly and may include severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, abdominal swelling and fever. Dehydration and shock may also occur. Causes and risk factors
Peritonitis usually occurs as a complication of another abdominal disorder, such as a perforated appendix, or when organ contents - such as stomach acid, bile from an inflamed gall bladder or digestive enzymes from an inflamed pancreas - leak into the abdominal cavity. The most common cause is a bacterial infection spreading from somewhere else in the abdomen. If the bowel perforates, for example, intestinal bacteria can escape into the abdominal cavity. The risk of developing peritonitis can be reduced by early and appropriate treatment of abdominal conditions such as appendicitis. Treatment and recoverySuspected peritonitis requires urgent hospital treatment. Treatment usually involves: - intravenous therapy
- antibiotics
- treatment of the underlying condition - removal of the appendix in appendicitis, for example
This article was last medically reviewed by Dr Trisha Macnair in June 2009.
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