Abdominal catastrophe: definition and proposal for a new approach

Abdominal catastrophe, defined as peritonitis from a visceral source, occurs in a significant number of patients treated by peritoneal dialysis. Peritonitis due to visceral injury is difficult to manage and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Surgical intervention for both diagnosis and repair is definitive. However, no preventive strategy has been identified to date. The experience at University Hospitals of Cleveland and the published experiences of many other centers demonstrate that the risk of this complication has not changed in parallel with the many other improvements in the technique and outcome of peritoneal dialysis. We propose an approach to improve the understanding and outcome of this devastating complication. First, classification of peritonitis by source, not by organism, may lead to a more focused response to each episode of peritonitis. Second, the importance of antibiotic prophylaxis should be re-assessed in defined clinical settings that have a high likelihood of progressing to abdominal catastrophe. Third, optimal antibiotic regimens need to be devised and applied when visceral injury is highly suspected as a cause of peritonitis. Finally, the results of surgical interventions must be carefully studied.