1. Begin a Course of Antibiotics
The first step to treating peritonitis is often a course of strong antibiotics. Peritonitis is the inflammation and infection of the peritoneum. The peritoneum is a thin covering that protects the organs in your abdomen, and can become infected due to an abscess, or as the result of frequent kidney dialysis. Abscesses may develop when Crohn's disease, diverticulitis or appendicitis cause toxic material to spill into your abdominal cavity. Ascites (fluid buildup) that is associated with liver disease can also lead to peritonitis. Most often, you'll need to be admitted to the hospital to treat peritonitis, and will be given very potent antibiotic drugs through an IV. At the same time, your doctor can give you something to control your pain and keep you hydrated.
2. Remove Affected Tissue Surgically
If the inflamed tissue is left too long in your abdominal cavity, you risk developing sepsis, a life-threatening condition in which your organs begin to fail. For this reason, your doctor will probably opt to remove the source of infection through surgical means. In some cases, this means performing an appendectomy and clearing out the contents of your ruptured appendix. In other cases, it could mean repairing or removing part of your digestive tract that has been damaged by Crohn's disease or diverticulitis.
3. Switch Your Form of Dialysis
If you are undergoing peritoneal dialysis to treat kidney disease and you develop peritonitis (a common complication with dialysis patients), you may need to temporarily discontinue this type of treatment. Once your doctor has gotten your peritonitis under control, he will let you know whether you can continue peritoneal dialysis. He may decide that hemodialysis is a safer option for you at this time. Hemodialysis is a procedure that removes toxins from your blood, rather than removing waste from your abdomen, as is done with peritoneal dialysis.
