Q: Which doctor is to be consulted for peritonitis?
A: Peritonitis rapidly develops into a life-threatening problem and hence depending on its cause many different doctors are involved. Emergency medicine doctors, critical-care specialists, infectious disease specialists, dialysis specialists, gastroenterologists, and internal medicine specialists are a few doctors who treat peritonitis.
Q: Is peritonitis fatal?
A: Peritonitis with its complications may be fatal. If peritonitis is not treated promptly, the infection enters the bloodstream, causing shock and damage to other organs. This is fatal.
Q: What is a peritoneal abscess?
A: An abscess is a pocket full of infected fluid and pus. The pus-filled abscess can be in the liver, pancreas, kidneys or any other organs. Abscess in the peritoneal cavity is named peritoneal abscess.
Q: What is septic peritonitis?
A: Peritonitis accompanied with bacterial infection within the abdomen is called septic peritonitis. The bacterial population within the abdominal fluid indicates the source of contamination; a mixed bacterial population is due to leakage of gastrointestinal (GI) contents while a uniform bacterial population occurs due to rupture of the uterus or bladder.
Q: Is peritonitis contagious?
A: Peritonitis might be a complication of an infection in the abdominal area, but it is not itself contagious.
