study of secondary bacterial peritonitis in El-Thoura Teaching Hospital-Albeida Libya

ABSTRACT

Secondary bacterial peritonitis [SBP] is one of the common surgical emergencies in the world [1,2]. Purpose of the present study was to establish the common cause of SBP in our environment. Prospectively; we studied ninety patients [age 3 to 63 years] admitted to El-Thoura Teaching Hospital; Al-Beida- Libya, in the period from January to December 2005. Perforated appendicitis was found in 31 [34.4%], followed by; perforated peptic ulcer 25 [27%], acute pancreatitis 9 [10%], acute cholecystitis with peritonitis 8 [8.8%],small bowel perforations 8 [8.8%] [3 cases trauma, 2 ischemia, 2 Crohns disease and one case typhoid perforation], large bowel perforations 6 [6.6%] [3 cases trauma, 2 diverticulitis perforation, one case tumor]. We found that perforated acute appendicitis followed by peptic ulcer perforation is the most common cause of peritonitis in our environment. On other hand; this study abdominal trauma is the main cause of bowel perforation in our environment