Peritonitis associated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis: the pseudo-surgical abdomen.

In this work, 12 patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis with peritonitis showing clinical symptomatology of "acute surgical abdomen" were studied. The infective cause of peritonitis was Staphylococcus epidermidis (eight cases) and Staphylococcus aureus (four cases). All patients, under strict and continuous observation, were managed with conventional chemotherapy and showed improvement within 6 to 24 hours. The need of prompt recognition and correct evaluation of this condition by surgeons familiar with it is emphasized in order to avoid an unnecessary surgical procedure.