Question on peritonitis and cloudy bags ...

[h12]

hi everyone,

my mother is currently undergoing treatment for peritonitis.

she is still under antibiotics for another 2 weeks and the bags (sorry, don't know the term for it ...) have started to improve (from looking like soup to  looking more like urine) but is still not clear. other symptoms have improved (nausea, diarrhea, etc.) albeit slowly. remaining symptoms are flatulence and loss of appetite.

so i was wondering for those who had had peritonitis, around how long, from the time other symptoms showed improvements, (a) did the cloudy bags clear up and (b) did you have a full recovery?

i tried to search old threads, shortest was ~3 days and longest ~2 months for a full recovery. but i didn't find anything about the cloudy bags.

also, did the bags clear up after the antibiotics? or a few days later?

#sorry for the many questions, any info would help us know what to watch out for and hopefully make us worry less.

thank you!

[MaryD]

I had peritonitis three times in a row (recurrent).  The first bag looked disgusting - not just cloudy.  It took two/ three days to produce clear bags, and I had two weeks of antibiotics. A month later when I got in early with a vaguely cloudy bag it only took a day to clear (then three weeks on antibiotics).  Ditto when the infection came back another month later.  But then I was scheduled for a catheter removal - rested the site for four weeks, before reinserting a new PD catheter.

I've been going like a house on fire since then with no further problems

[Rerun]

 

[billybags]

Phew, I really smypathis with your mother, peritonitise is a pain in the butt. My husband has had it three times in the last four years. The first time he got an e-coli bug which they could not clear up so he had to have his cath removed, he went on hemo for 4 months and then had his cath replaced. He had peritonitis 4 months ago due to a leak from his cath where it joins up. Like your mother he had antibiotics for two weeks. It started out looking like custard, horriable, that took about a week to get clear, every thing seems OK now. The loss of appitite goes with the kidney deasease. My husband has been what they call malnurished, he just does not fancy food at all. I and the hospital dietician have tried all sorts of things to encourage him. In the end she has told him to eat what ever he likes, when he likes, that helps but he still does not fancy eating. I waste so much food.  Some times, no most of the time they blame peritonitis on cleanleness because as you know that is so important but some times it is other things. Hope your mother is getting along OK and she is not put off by this episode.

[h12]

thank you!!!


@billybags: when you say they could not clear up .. what does that mean? my mother cannot even imagine having her cath removed! like your husband, she doesn't have any appetite! i think food tastes bland so she just spits it out. like you, we wasted a lot of effort (to go out and buy food she asks for that she thinks she can eat) and food (since she takes one bite and doesn't like it). her diet is mostly liquids and very very minimal solids.

just as additional info...
 my  mother currently has 2 overlapping infections...

infection 1 (was not able to identify bacteria in lab)
--- 2days no improvement, antibiotics did not seem to work
--- bags started to improve after switching to a narrow spectrum antibiotic
--- after a week, bag is not yet clear (you still cannot clearly see through it but looks more looks more like urine) but bloating and diarrhea stopped.

infection 2 (e-coli)
--- day 6, almost matches the week 1 bag of infection 1


are there stages for the clearing up of bags?
Example:

stage 1: start of infection - bags are not clear (cloudy)
stage 2: peak of infection - bags have milky consistency, with custard like stuff
              duration: from stage 1 to stage 2: immediate up to ~1 day
stage 3: medication taken is improving - bags are not milky, more like stage 1 but has some "skin-like" stuff floating or still has some fibrin.
               duration: from stage 2 to stage 3: a few hours to days from start of medication
stage 4: infection is clear - bags are clear, you can see through the bags.
               duration: from stage 3 to stage 4: days


also, which comes first, the appetite improving or the bags becoming very clear/transparent?

[MaryD]

I don't think there is any one stage on the way to peritonitis and back.  It would depend on the type of infection, bacteria and your general health.  Have they grown a culture from your mother's bag to identify the bug?  This would help them with the choice of anti biotic to use.  If the infection goes on and on, or comes back each time, I would think they may have to remove the catheter to get over the infection.  If the peritoneum is not damaged too much your mother should be able to have a new catheter after a rest.

[h12]

The first one, nothing grew. The second one was ecoli. So the antibiotics was changed.
maybe each case would be different ... my mother is slowly improving overall anyway.
It's just it's not yet 100% back to normal, that makes us worry a little.

Thanks for the input!

[MaryD]

I hope your mother continues to improve and may she be able to hang onto her catheter.  Slow improvement is good.  She'll get back to normal.   

[billybags]

h12
As I said peritonitist is a real pain in the butt and it takes them a while to grow a culture to identify the bug or bugs. Seems like they have done this. They will not take the cath out unless it is absolutly nessessary. Some times the bug lingers in the cath and unless sorted will come back with a vengance. The renal team seem to know what they are doing, it will take time. They will get it sorted. As for the eating, soft foods are best whilst she does'nt feel well,some thing that does not need chewing, not too much liquid though. Will she eat soup, like veg soup or broth. Rice pudding,, ok I know it has milk in it but she has to eat some thing. It will take time and you seem to be doing your best, bless you. It is a worry.

[h12]

Hi maryd, billybags,

Thanks for the info, it really helps to lessen the worry.
my mother is in good spirits but is still weak (most likely due to not having enough food).

Will keep you posted thanks!

[h12]

Hi everyone!

just wanted to share an update ...
bags are finally clearing! 
hope my mother gets her appetite back soon 

I am attaching pictures for reference.

#1: day 5 since first infection, on antibiotic 1 and 2; day 2 since shift to antibiotic 3 and 4. Sorry did not have pics of the yucky bags, they are usually on day 1.

#2: day 10 since first infection; day 7 since shift to antibiotic 3 and 4.
#3: day 22 since first infection;  day 19 since shift to antibiotic 3 and 4.
       day 8 since second infection (shifted to antibiotic 1 and 2 and 3)