Definition

1. Noun (Medical Term):
   • Inflammation of the peritoneum: A serious medical condition characterized by the inflammation of the peritoneum, the thin, smooth membrane that lines the walls of the abdominal cavity and covers the organs within it. This is typically caused by a bacterial or fungal infection.

Usage

• Peritonitis is a noun used specifically in medical contexts. It refers to a pathological state and is often modified by adjectives describing its cause or type (e.g., , ).
• It is typically used as a subject or object in a sentence describing a diagnosis, symptom, or complication.

Examples

• The patient was rushed to surgery after being diagnosed with acute peritonitis.
• A ruptured appendix is a common cause of peritonitis.
• The doctor explained that peritonitis requires immediate antibiotic treatment and often surgery.

Advanced Usage

• Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis (SBP): A specific type of infection that occurs in individuals with advanced liver disease and ascites (fluid buildup in the abdomen), often without an obvious source.
  • Patients with cirrhosis are monitored for signs of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

Variants and Related Words

• Peritoneal (adjective): Pertaining to the peritoneum.
  • The catheter is inserted into the peritoneal cavity for dialysis.
• Peritoneum (noun): The membrane itself, which is the site of the inflammation.
  • The peritoneum helps protect the abdominal organs.

Synonyms

• Inflammation of the peritoneum: This is the direct definitional synonym.
• There are no common non-medical synonyms for this specific condition.

Related Phrases

• Secondary peritonitis: Peritonitis resulting from the spread of infection from a hole or tear in the gastrointestinal tract (e.g., from appendicitis, diverticulitis).
• Primary peritonitis: Peritonitis where the infection spreads through the bloodstream to the peritoneum, less commonly from the female reproductive tract.

Notes

• Peritonitis is a serious, often life-threatening condition that constitutes a medical emergency. The explanation focuses on its medical definition as an inflammatory state of a specific anatomical structure.

Noun

1. inflammation of the peritoneum