Peritoneal neutrophilia: a potential indicator of the surgical acute abdomen.

The percentage of neutrophils in a peritoneal cell sample (PNP), obtained at operation, was measured in 250 patients who underwent urgent laparotomy because 'the surgical acute abdomen' (SAA) was suspected. The PNP was substantially higher in patients with confirmed SAA than in others and is potentially a very sensitive and very specific test of SAA. If the PNP was available as a diagnostic test for patients with acute abdominal pain, there might be a significant reduction in unnecessary and delayed laparotomies.