The present commentary remark is devoted to the discussion raised by authors A.S. Safarov, A.M. Sharipov, B.A. Safarov, H.Z. Zaripov and A.T. Korokhonov in their article “On the classification of peritonitis in children”, in which the authors propose to pediatric surgeons their own unified classification of peritonitis in children. Their classification is based on the information taken from domestic and foreign sources, as well as on their own personal long-term experience in the diagnostics and management of children with peritonitis. The authors are also waiting for suggestions from other specialists to improve this classification.

By the reviewer, this article is a literature synopsis on the classification of peritonitis. The proposed headings do not have any novelty and are ambiguous in authors’ interpretation. The present commentary remark underlines obvious inconsistencies and controversial issues. The reviewer also considers that the rubrics proposed by the authors are either known or are not sufficiently substantiated, while the peritonitis systematization by various criteria has already been created and is sufficient. In pediatric surgery, as well as in surgery in general, it is most important to gradate terminology describing the nature and extension of inflammatory process in the abdominal cavity, what directly defines a surgical tactics. Unfortunately, in the proposed classification the terminological confusion still persists.

The Editorial Board of the Russian Journal of Pediatric Surgery invites pediatric surgeons to continue this discussion on the journal pages: you are welcome to express your own opinion or to make your proposals on the discussed issue.