Sutures and Wound Repair/ General Surgery (ABSA) Practice Test

What one of the following conditions is NOT a cause of peritonitis?

1. Acute pancreatitis

2. Ruptured spleen

3. Pneumonia

4. Gangrenous obstruction of bowel

The correct answer is: Pneumonia

Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum, which is the membrane lining the abdominal cavity. It typically occurs due to infection or irritation resulting from various sources. Each of the conditions listed has the potential to cause peritonitis except for pneumonia. Acute pancreatitis can lead to peritonitis through the release of digestive enzymes into the peritoneal cavity, causing irritation and inflammation. A ruptured spleen often results in blood leaking into the abdominal cavity, which can also provoke peritonitis due to the presence of extravasated blood and the body's inflammatory response. Gangrenous obstruction of the bowel involves ischemia and subsequent necrosis of bowel tissue, which can lead to perforation and the spillage of intestinal contents into the peritoneal cavity, triggering peritonitis. On the other hand, pneumonia is primarily a lung infection that does not have a direct pathway to cause inflammation in the peritoneal cavity. Although pneumonia can lead to complications that might indirectly affect the abdomen, it is not a direct cause of peritonitis like the other conditions listed. Thus, pneumonia does not fit the criteria for causing peritonitis, making it the correct answer to this question.