[Differential surgical therapy in diffuse peritonitis].

96 patients were operated on for diffuse peritonitis from January 1986 to June 1990. They underwent a differentiated therapeutical concept according to the severity of the underlying peritonitis. Mild forms were handled with the standard approach, while mid-severe cases were treated by continuous postoperative peritoneal lavage. Patients with severe peritonitis were operated on by open abdomen management. Mortality was 32% (31/96) and with that obviously better than the statistically expected mortality, based on the Mannheim-Peritonitis-Score (49%). The same findings could be demonstrated in the therapeutic subgroups. The management of diffuse peritonitis using such a differentiated surgical concept seems to be an effective approach to reduce mortality rates.