Peritoneal Fluid

The peritoneum is the serous membrane that lines the abdominal cavity. This membrane is composed of a layer of mesothelium along with a thin layer of connective tissue. The two layers of the peritoneum itself consists of the parietal peritoneum, which is attached to the abdominal wall and the visceral peritoneum, which is wrapped around the internal organs. The space between these two layers is the peritoneal cavity, which contains the peritoneal fluid. This fluid allows the two layers to slide freely over each other. The composition of synovial fluid, which is present in synovial joints, is slightly different from the peritoneal fluid, although both have the common function of lubrication. The peritoneal cavity helps to support the abdominal organs and serves as a space for blood, lymph vessels and nerves. Given below are details regarding the peritoneal fluid analysis and what the test results mean.

Peritoneal Fluid Analysis
Before going in for the analysis of fluid in the peritoneum, you must tell your health care provider if you have any allergies to certain medications or anesthetic ointments. You should also inform your doctor if you have any bleeding or if you are pregnant. The sample of fluid is collected from the peritoneal cavity using a needle and syringe. A small area of the abdomen (near the belly button) is cleaned and numbed. After this, the needle is inserted through the skin of the abdomen into the peritoneal cavity and a small amount of fluid is withdrawn. This fluid is collected into a tube attached to the end of the needle. This fluid is then sent to the laboratory where it is examined. There is minimal risk involved in this procedure and it is a routine procedure. However, there are chances that it could lead to puncture of the bowel, bladder or a blood vessel in the abdomen. This could lead to bowel perforation, infection or bleeding the abdominal cavity.

Results of Peritoneal Fluid Analysis
The fluid in the peritoneum is sterile, so normally no bacteria or fungi are present in this fluid. However, when there is a disease in the abdominal region, then the composition of the fluid in the peritoneum, like the peritoneal fluid cell count and the peritoneal fluid creatinine levels, go up. A peritoneal fluid culture is done to detect the presence of bacteria or fungi which indicates the presence of an infection in the peritoneal cavity. The fluid is examined to check for the levels of red and white blood cells count, protein and albumin, etc. Sometimes, tests are also done to check for glucose, ammonia, amylase, alkaline phosphatase, and other substances.

If the fluid is bile stained, then there is a possibility that the person has a gallbladder disease. Blood in the fluid may indicate the presence of injury and trauma or a tumor. Milk colored peritoneal fluid may be a sign of lymphoma, carcinoma or an infection. A high white blood cell count normally indicates the presence of inflammation of the peritoneal cavity, which is known as peritonitis. However, the diagnosis of peritonitis is not done only on the basis of the peritoneal fluid analysis, but the symptoms exhibited by the patients is also considered. Furthermore, other tests are also done to check for any other abnormality in the functioning of the organs of the peritoneum.

If there is an increase in the capillary pressure in the abdominal viscera, then this could lead fluid leaving the interstitial space and entering the abdominal cavity, which causes a condition known as ascites, where there is accumulation of ascitic fluid in the abdominal cavity. In such cases, there is need for drainage of this excess fluid, so as to prevent any infection and pressure on the adjacent organs.

The peritoneum is a common site for injections. These intraperitoneal injections are used to administer chemotherapy drugs to treat certain types of cancer, especially ovarian cancer. Thus, any kind of infection of the peritoneum or the peritoneal fluid has high chances of spreading to adjacent organs at a very quick rate. Thus, if the person has excess of fluid in the peritoneum or if he is showing symptoms of peritonitis, or is complaining of pain in the abdomen, then he should visit the doctor immediately as this can be a sign of peritoneal cancer, which needs to be treated on a priority basis.