Unusual cases of peritonitis: A case series of five patients

Peritonitis is a complication in patients on peritoneal dialysis that frequently results from touch contamination. Most cases of peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis are caused by skin organisms. Herein, we are presenting a series of peritonitis cases with unusual organisms in a single home dialysis center at an academic hospital in New York City.

The records of five patients with an unusual cause of peritonitis were reviewed by a clinician. We have chronologically tabulated the cell count of the dialysate, microbiologic cultures, and antibiotics received by each patient. Additionally, both a table and figure detail the microbiologic organisms that our dialysis unit encountered over the 3-year period concurrent with the infections reported.

The first patient presented with refractory polymicrobial peritonitis due to a liver abscess. Another patient presented with diverticulitis and developed enteric peritonitis with various organisms. The following patient had peritonitis in the setting of bowel pathologies and from Rhizobium after exposure to plants. The next patient developed Pasteurella peritonitis from his cat. The final patient developed multiple episodes of peritonitis from organisms including flora native to soil and water.

These uncommon cases of peritonitis with unusual circumstances bring awareness to various elements that can lead to peritonitis.