At first, peritonitis causes abdominal swelling and pain. As the infection associated with peritonitis spreads, sepsis, a kind of body-wide infection, may result. This can lead to a condition called septic shock, in which the body's organs gradually shut down. Someone with peritonitis can also experience bacteremia, which is an infection that spreads throughout the person's bloodstream. These system-wide infections are life-threatening. For these reasons, it is important to treat peritonitis promptly.
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