Peritonitis

Causes	Appropriate Tests
	If indicated: peritoneal fluid examination - microscopy, culture and cytology. Blood culture. FBC, blood film, differential WCC.
'Surgical', especially Acute appendicitis Perforated peptic ulcer Pelvic inflammatory disease Ruptured ectopic pregnancy Intraperitoneal bleeding
Peritoneal dialysis
Primary infection, especially Streptococcus pneumoniae in Alcoholic cirrhosis Nephrotic syndrome Post-splenectomy Mycobacterium tuberculosis	See Alcoholism, Cirrhosis See Splenic atrophy/absence See Tuberculosis
Non-infective Connective tissue diseases, especially SLE	Systemic/metabolic causes of abdominal pain and 'peritonism' should also be considered.
Acute intermittent porphyria	See Porphyria
Hereditary angioedema	See C1 inhibitor deficiency
Familial Mediterranean fever	Molecular genetics.

Glossary Terms