Abstract

Surgeons and anesthetists are frequently confronted with community-acquired secondary peritonitis. We summarize literature results and consensus conferences concerning the types of bacteriologic sampling and cultures and the empiric choice of an antibiotic regimen based on the probable pathogens encountered in community-acquired secondary peritonitis. These studies leave some doubt as to the necessity for routine blood cultures and the need for anaerobic cultures of peritoneal fluid. No one disputes the need for broad spectrum antibiotic therapy, but there is no consensus regarding one, two, or three drug antibiotic regimens or whether an aminoglycoside is an essential part of the recipe. Duration of antibiotic therapy is still a subject of controversy with recommendations varying from 24 hours to 10 days. The need for antibiotics with activity against enterococcus and the need for systematic antifungal therapy when fungal growth is noted in the peritoneal fluid remain undefined. These uncertainties underline the need for treating physicians within each establishment to elaborate a written consensus of antibiotic therapy.