If you're diagnosed with peritonitis, you will be admitted to hospital where you will be carefully monitored due to the risk of serious complications, such as blood poisoning.
Antibiotics or antifungal medication
The initial treatment for peritonitis involves injections of antibiotics or antifungal medication. The course will usually last 10 to 14 days.
If your peritonitis was caused by peritoneal dialysis, antibiotics may be injected directly into the tissue of the peritoneum. Research has shown that this is more effective than injecting antibiotics in a vein.
You will also need to use an alternative method of dialysis, such as haemodialysis (where the blood is passed through a machine that has a series of filters) until the peritonitis has been successfully treated.
Surgery
If part of the tissue of the peritoneum has been seriously damaged by infection, it may need to be surgically removed.
Some people develop abscesses (pus-filled swellings) in their peritoneum, which will need to be drained. This can be done under a local anaesthetic. An ultrasound scanner will be used to guide a needle to the abscess to remove the pus. Read more about treating abscesses.
The cause of peritonitis may also need to be surgically treated. For example, if a burst appendix caused your peritonitis, your appendix will need to be removed. Read more about treating appendicitis.
If peritonitis was caused by liver disease that led to a build-up of fluid inside the abdomen, the fluid will need to be drained out of the abdomen. Read more about treating cirrhosis.
