Etiology of peritonitis

Area of Science:

• Medical Microbiology
• Surgical Infections
• Antimicrobial Resistance

Background:

• Peritonitis is a serious surgical emergency requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment.
• Understanding the causative pathogens and their antibiotic susceptibility is vital for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the common etiologies of peritonitis.
• To assess the antibiotic sensitivity patterns of bacteria isolated from peritonitis patients.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study was conducted at the Surgical Clinic, University Clinical Centre (UCC) Tuzla.
• 60 patients undergoing surgery for acute peritonitis were analyzed between June 2009 and June 2010.
• Microbiological analysis included operative field content, wound swabs, and drainage smears.

Main Results:

• Gram-positive cocci isolated included Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (18.36%) and Staphylococcus aureus (12.6%).
• Gram-negative bacteria included Escherichia coli (15.51%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae (10.34% each).
• High sensitivity was observed for vancomycin against Gram-positive cocci and carbapenems against Gram-negative bacilli.

Conclusions:

• Microbiological diagnostics confirmed appropriate empirical antibiotic therapy in 83.33% of cases.
• The study highlights the critical role of microbiological diagnostics in guiding antibiotic selection for peritonitis.
• Effective treatment relies on integrating microbiological findings with surgical management.