How is peritonitis most often identified in a PD patient?

How is peritonitis most often identified in a PD patient?

• A. Elevated blood pressure and headaches
• B. Cloudy dialysate effluent, abdominal pain, and sometimes fever.
• C. Clear dialysate with no abdominal symptoms
• D. Only fever without abdominal symptoms

Answer: (B)

Peritonitis in PD is most often identified by the hallmark signs of cloudy dialysate effluent and abdominal pain. The cloudy effluent indicates high white blood cells in the dialysate due to infection of the peritoneal cavity, and abdominal pain reflects irritation from peritoneal inflammation. Fever may occur but is not always present, so the cloudy effluent with pain is the strongest clue to prompt evaluation (cell counts and cultures of the dialysate). Other signs listed aren’t as reliable: elevated blood pressure and headaches aren’t typical indicators of peritonitis in this context; a clear dialysate with no abdominal symptoms makes peritonitis unlikely; fever alone without abdominal symptoms is possible but less specific than the combination of cloudy effluent and abdominal pain.

Peritonitis in PD is most often identified by the hallmark signs of cloudy dialysate effluent and abdominal pain. The cloudy effluent indicates high white blood cells in the dialysate due to infection of the peritoneal cavity, and abdominal pain reflects irritation from peritoneal inflammation. Fever may occur but is not always present, so the cloudy effluent with pain is the strongest clue to prompt evaluation (cell counts and cultures of the dialysate).

Other signs listed aren’t as reliable: elevated blood pressure and headaches aren’t typical indicators of peritonitis in this context; a clear dialysate with no abdominal symptoms makes peritonitis unlikely; fever alone without abdominal symptoms is possible but less specific than the combination of cloudy effluent and abdominal pain.