Intraabdominal infections in infants and children: descriptions and definitions.

Objective: To define intraabdominal infections in infants and children.

Design: Summary of the literature with review and consensus by experts in the field.

Results: Intraabdominal infections are common in infants and children and comprise a broad range of disorders of greatly variable severity. In addition to microbiologically mediated processes, other inflammatory disorders frequently present similar clinical syndromes. More aggressive and effective therapy for prematurity, chronic diseases of childhood, malignancies, immunodeficiencies, and organ failure, including transplantation, is likely to increase the frequency with which some of these infections are encountered. Only a limited number of processes have been clearly defined in the pediatric literature.

Conclusions: Criteria defining intraabdominal infection are proposed based on reports in the pediatric literature and expert opinion. Additional study of individual disorders, diagnostic criteria, and approach to management is warranted.