S upracolic compartment – lies above the transverse mesocolon and contains the stomach, liver and spleen . The potential space between these two layers is the peritoneal cavity. It is filled with a small amount of slippery serous fluid that allows the two layers to slide freely over each other.

The peritoneum is of significant clinical importance. The peritoneum can develop inflammation that can present as peritonitis.The condition is often associatedwith perforation of the intestinal viscera and florid infection. Other causes of peritonitis include free blood, gastric and pancreatic juices, medications, and chemicals in the peritoneal cavity.Peritonitis may be localizedor diffuse and often presents with signs of an acute abdomen, such as rigidity, rebound tenderness, or guarding. Treatment depends on the cause. All perforations need surgical treatment. Infections need tobe treatedwith antibiotics. Mortality is highest in elderly patients. Although they ultimately form one continuous sheet, there are two layers of peritoneum and potential space between those layers. In one form of dialysis, called peritoneal dialysis, a glucose solution is sent through a tube into the peritoneal cavity. The fluid is left there for a prescribed amount of time to absorb waste products, and then removed through the tube. This form of dialysis is effective because of the the high number of arteries and veins in the peritoneal cavity which, through the mechanism of diffusion, remove waste products from the blood. The peritoneum plays a significant role in surgical planning for inguinal hernia repairs. The peritoneum is significant enough that the laparoscopic approaches refer to the relationship to the peritoneum with options of a transabdominal pre-peritoneal (TAPP) or total extra pre-peritoneal (TEPP) repairs. In a TAPP, the peritoneum is penetrated,and the surgeon works to repair a hernia from an iatrogenic hole dissected to access the hernia sac that is then primarily closed. A TEPP avoids the peritoneum altogether by staying superficial to it to access the hernia sac and repair it. [5] If you have severe or repeated peritonitis, it may be necessary to remove the dialysis catheter and ‘rest’ your abdomen for several weeks. During this time you will need to have haemodialysis until you are ready to return to peritoneal dialysis, and oral or intravenous antibiotic treatment will need to continue until it is certain that the infection has cleared up.Normally, the peritoneal space only contains up to 100 mL of serous fluid. In various situations, such as cirrhosis or chyle leaks, there can be a pathologic increase in peritoneal fluid volume. Cirrhotic ascites is believed to be due to portal hypertension, leading to increased permeability in blood vessels, allowing for altered oncotic and hydrostatic pressures that result in an imbalance of protein and electrolytes, thus altering the fluid flow. [13]In chylous ascites, there is an increase in lymphaticfluid in the peritoneal cavity, which can be secondary to a chyle leakor can occur from surgery or trauma. [14]Treatment is primarily medical but can be surgical on occasion.

Greater omentum. Provided by: Wikipedia. Located at: en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_omentum. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike The peritoneal cavity can be divided into the greater and lesser peritoneal sacs. The greater sac comprises the majority of the peritoneal cavity. The lesser sac (also known as the omental bursa) is smaller and lies posterior to the stomach and lesser omentum. Greater SacPeritoneum. Provided by: Wikipedia. Located at: en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Periton...inical_aspects. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike

Management should be as clinically indicated or as recommended by the national poisons centres where available. Adults, adolescents and children aged 12 years and over: Take two 5ml spoonfuls (10ml) Piriton syrup every four to six hours, when needed to relieve symptoms. Do not take more than six 10ml doses in 24 hours. Elderly people should avoid taking more than three 10ml doses in 24 hours as they may be more susceptible to the potential side effects of chlorphenamine. A new way to manage malignancies that have originated or widely metastasized to the peritoneum is being investigated. [6]The concept behind HIPEC is to directly administer chemotherapy to the peritoneal surface in the hopes of widely reducing tumor burden. Prior to the advent ofHIPEC, surgery was utilized to resect involved areas but was not feasible when widely disseminated, conferring a poor prognosis for the patient. While still requiring extensive research, there is hope that HIPEC will be a new tool for surgeons to use in the battle against cancer. The peritoneum is the serous membrane that forms the lining of the abdominal cavity or the coelom. It covers most of the intra-abdominal, or coelomic, organs. It is composed of a layer of mesothelial tissue, supported by a thin layer of connective tissue. Peritoneum. Provided by: Wikipedia. Located at: en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Periton...nal_structures. License: CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike

Peritonitis can make it hard for you to digest food so a feeding tube might be passed into your stomach through your nose, or placed inside your stomach using keyhole surgery. Sometimes it may become necessary to remove your catheter, depending on the severity frequency and cause of your infection. But a replacement can often be fitted later.