Peritonitis: what is this disease and how is it treated

Now almost the most dangerous and difficult for treatment of the disease is peritonitis. What is this disease, everyone should know. The fact is that this ailment is always very serious, therefore its treatment is considered compulsory. It is an inflammation of the peritoneum. However, even the most modern drugs are not always effective enough in the fight against this unpleasant disease.

Causes

Now several etiological factors are known that can cause peritonitis. What is this disease, most often a continuation of already existing pathological processes, must everyone know. The malaise develops after a pathogenic microflora has entered the peritoneum. Most often this occurs when a person previously had cholecystitis, peritonitis, perforation of the ulcer, intestinal obstruction, pancreatitis or any other inflammatory disease that threatens the spread of the infection to the peritoneum. Knowledge of the causes of this ailment is very important, as they make it possible to predict the development of such a disease. So if a person has already developed appendicitis, peritonitis can easily complicate his condition.

Varieties

To date, the most important is the classification of this ailment, depending on the prevalence of the pathological process. Thus, a local and generalized form is distinguished. Local inflammation of the peritoneum is local peritonitis. What is it, sometimes even poorly know specialists, because this variant of the disease is rare. Usually a person develops a more severe generalized peritonitis. It is fraught with much greater problems.

Clinical manifestations

Now the symptoms of peritonitis have already been well studied. It consists of quite unpleasant symptoms. First of all, a person has severe abdominal pain. In this case, his body temperature rises. Hyperthermia can reach quite high values - up to 39-40 degrees Celsius. Especially high fever is manifested purulent peritonitis. The patient feels very ill. Often he is unable to stand up because of severe pain. In this case, a pronounced tension of the abdominal muscles is observed . This symptomatology is characteristic of the initial stages of the disease.

As for the period of exacerbation of peritonitis, at this time there is some improvement in the person's well-being. It is due to the fact that the patient is simply depleted of pain receptors. In this case, the objective state of a person only worsens. The body temperature and the expressed tension of the abdominal press remain at the same level as before.

In the terminal period, the patient is experiencing a progressive deterioration of well-being. At the same time he often has confusion and loss of consciousness. Blood pressure is significantly reduced. In the absence of rational treatment, the patient rarely succeeds in overcoming this dangerous disease.

Treatment

The impact on the inflamed peritoneum should be complex. The patient is prescribed antibacterial agents. In addition, colloidal and crystalloid solutions are injected intravenously to avoid the development of shock. Surgical treatment is mandatory if peritonitis develops. That this surgical intervention is sometimes the only chance for the patient should be considered by every specialist. Surgical intervention begins with laparotomy. In the future, the peritoneum is washed with antiseptic preparations. While suturing the surgical wound, the surgeon necessarily leaves the drains to continue washing the abdominal cavity, but without additional incisions.