Peritonitis is a life-threatening inflammation of the abdominal lining that demands urgent medical attention.
In short: The peritoneum is a delicate membrane lining your abdomen and organs. When it becomes inflamed, the result is peritonitis, a condition characterized by severe pain and rigidity. Without prompt intervention, this acute abdominal crisis can lead to shock, organ failure, and death within just a few days.
Peritonitis occurs when the peritoneum—the glistening, greyish lining of the abdominal cavity—becomes inflamed. This often happens due to a perforation in the gastrointestinal tract, such as a ruptured appendix, stomach ulcer, or diverticulitis. When these organs leak their contents into the sterile peritoneal space, the resulting contamination triggers a rapid inflammatory response. Even without a perforation, the peritoneum can become infected through surgical wounds, peritoneal dialysis, or the migration of systemic infections like tuberculosis.
The hallmark of the condition is an 'acute abdomen.' Patients typically experience intense pain, swelling, and a distinct physical sign known as abdominal rigidity, where the abdominal muscles contract involuntarily. A classic diagnostic test is the Blumberg's sign: releasing pressure on the abdomen abruptly causes more pain than the initial touch. As the condition progresses, the body may develop intestinal paralysis, fluid sequestration, and electrolyte imbalances, which can rapidly spiral into sepsis, shock, and acute kidney failure.
Diagnosis relies on clinical examination, imaging, and sometimes paracentesis to analyze peritoneal fluid. Treatment is aggressive and time-sensitive, usually involving intravenous antibiotics to combat mixed bacterial infections, fluid resuscitation, and often emergency surgery to repair the underlying anatomical damage. While mortality for surgically correctable cases in healthy individuals is generally below 10%, this figure climbs significantly if sepsis or renal complications occur. The term itself is derived from the Greek words for the abdominal membrane and inflammation, reflecting the localized or generalized nature of this dangerous condition.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Peritonitis
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