see: [Hayes' spontaneous bacterial peritonitis](x-devonthink-item://5B46244E-99B0-47A3-BE33-14418563B631), [Dunn Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis](x-devonthink-item://4E714AD5-C8F4-45FC-9BB3-8CAFA2E8ADD2)
see also: [[Peritoneal dialysis]]
**Causes**
- e coli
- enterococci
- staph (aureus or other)
- klebsiella
- psedomonas
- anaerobes
**Features**
- ascites
- fever not always present
- abdo pain in 95% ; not usually peritonitic though
- nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea
- confusion / hepatic encephalopathy
# investigations
## ascites tap
(Not to be confused with [[Pleural effusion#Light's criteria]])
- cloudy macroscopic appearance
- neutropils: subtract 1 neutrophil for every 250 RBCs in blood-stained taps
**Diagnosis**
- WCC > 250 (often > 1000) (note >100 for peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis)
- ascitic/serum LDH ratio ≥ 0.5
- glucose < 2.8
- protein > 10
- +ve leucocyte esterase
- + gram stain
- pH < 7.35
**DDx**
- perforated viscus
- appendicitis
- pancreatitis
# management
- ceftriaxone
# SBP from peritoneal dialysis
see: [[Peritoneal dialysis#Peritonitis from peritoneal dialysis]]