title: [Endotoxins in bacterial peritonitis].
abstract: Tests for the presence of endotoxin in blood and peritoneal fluid were performed at short intervals in 19 patients with peritonitis, 9 following gastric perforation, and 10 with perforation of the large bowel. A highly sensitive precipitation technique (LAL test) was used. Endotoxin was demonstrated in peritoneal fluid during the early stage of peritonitis in 15 of 19 patients (79%), while blood determination revealed endotoxin in 7 of 19 cases within the first 48 h. During the clinical course circulating endotoxin was recovered in 12 of 19 patients, which implies endotoxinemia in 63% of the cases. The prognostic significance of endotoxin determinations was high, since circulating endotoxin was demonstrated within the first 72 h in 8 of 9 patients with a fatal course. Demonstration of circulating endotoxin is a time-consuming and complicated procedure with great clinical significance in patients with gram-negative peritonitis.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000032:analysis; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D001831:Body Temperature; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D004731:Endotoxins
vernacular_title: Endotoxin bei bakterieller Peritonitis.