Neonatal peritonitis

Description

Neonatal peritonitis may be bacterial or chemical in origin. The majority of cases of bacterial peritonitis are due to intestinal perforations, ruptured omphaloceles, or ischemic intestinal necrosis. Although most babies had peritonitis secondary to intestinal perforation subsequent to intestinal obstruction, many instances are unexplained perforation, possibly secondary to defects in the intestinal musculature or visceral ischemia. The less common chemical peritonitis is due to prenatal intestinal perforation with extrusion of sterile meconium into the peritoneal cavity. The two types may coexist if an antenatal perforation remains open after birth, allowing bacterial contamination of the previously sterile peritoneum.

Coding note from above levels

Conditions arising in the perinatal period, even though death or morbidity occurs later, should, as far as possible, be coded to chapter 19, which takes precedence over chapters containing codes for diseases by their anatomical site. For children less than 28 days old, assume that a reported condition developed in the perinatal period, unless the duration is stated and the onset was after the first completed week of life.

Exclusions from above levels

• 01 – Certain infectious or parasitic diseases - acquired after birth
• 02 – Neoplasms
• 05 – Endocrine, nutritional or metabolic diseases