[Mannhein index in the prognosis and treatment of acute peritonitis].

BACKGROUND

Early prognostic evaluation of patients affected by acute peritonitis is really desirable to program a correct therapeutic plan, selecting high-risk patients for more aggressive therapeutic procedures. The Mannheim peritonitis index is reliable and easy to apply, so its use is possible without the need of intensive care units.

METHODS

Between 1991 and 1995 a total of 235 patients were operated on for acute peritonitis. A retrospective study on this group of patients was performed in order to estimate prognostic reliability of Mannheim peritonitis index.

RESULTS

The overall mortality was 8.1%; for patients with a score less than 26 the mean mortality rate was 2% and for score greater than 26, 40.5%. This score is the threshold over which the therapeutic approach have to be more aggressive; planned multiple laparotomies or the open abdomen technique could be the best options to explore and clean up the peritoneal cavity from septic debris. In personal experience, all patients who died had residual sepsis in peritoneal cavity.