Peritonitis Brenda Rodriguez Nursing 1106- Mental Health Nursing Donna Bledsoe, MSN, RN, PMHCNS April 9, 2018 Peritonitis Peritonitis is a medical condition arising from the inflammation of the peritoneum. The peritoneum is a functional layer that lines and protects the visceral organs. This condition ranges from mild to acute peritonitis, and the inflammation of this layer is an emergency medical situation that requires immediate action since it may progress rapidly to acute peritonitis and become life-threatening (Ramasubbaiah, 2013). In general, peritonitis can be caused by injury, translocation of gut flora, bacteria, fungi, and secondary to other medical conditions or medical procedures, such as, pancreatitis, tuberculosis, hepatic damage, and paracentesis etc. Depending on underlying cause of infection, it can be classified as primary, secondary, or tertiary peritonitis. Secondary peritonitis is the most common occurrence among the …show more content…
However, regardless of classification, the translocation of pathogens into the peritoneal cavity initiates a cascade of inflammatory responses (Mabewa, Seni, Chalya, Mshana, & Gilyoma, 2015). This response is co-stimulated by mesothelial cells, and characterized by an accumulation of neutrophils and pro-inflammatory cytokines (McGuire et al., 2015). In primary peritonitis the infection occurs, but the source of intra-abdominal infection is unidentified, this is known as spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). Secondary peritonitis arises from abdominal trauma, organ damage, occurs secondary to medical procedures, and internal leaks affecting the peritoneum. Likewise, tertiary peritonitis is defined as a recurrent or persistent infection after 48 hours of adequate medical management of secondary peritonitis (Henderson, Nguyen, Said, & Nazzal, 2017). It can be assumed that the inflammation of the peritoneum occurs regardless of cause or pathogenic