Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis among Cirrhotic Patients: Prevalence, Clinical Characteristics, and Outcomes

(1) Background: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a feared complication of liver cirrhosis. We investigated the prevalence of SBP, positive ascitic fluid cultures, and risk factors for mortality. (2) Methods: A retrospective analysis of all patients with cirrhosis hospitalized or in follow-up in a single center between 1996 and 2020. The clinical data, long-term complications, and mortality of SBP patients were compared with those of non-SBP patients. Ascitic fluid positive culture was compared with those without growth. (3) Results: We included 1035 cirrhotic patients, of which 173 (16.7%) developed SBP. Ascitic fluid culture growth was found in 47.4% of the SBP cases, with Escherichia coli bacteria detected in 38%, 24.4% grew ESBL-producing bacteria, and 14.5% displayed multidrug resistance. In a Cox regression model, SBP, male sex, prolonged INR at diagnosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma were found to be risk factors for mortality in cirrhotic patients. The long-term all-cause mortality was 60% in non-SBP and 90% in SBP patients. (4) Conclusions: Only a minority of cirrhotic patients developed SBP, 47.4% of which had positive ascitic fluid cultures with high antibiotic resistance. Growth of ESBL and multidrug resistant organisms is becoming more frequent in the clinical setting, reaching SBP mortality of 90%.

Diagnostic Potential of Calprotectin for Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis in Patients Withliver Cirrhosis and Ascites

The development of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a serious and life-threatening condition in patients with cirrhosis and ascites. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic potential of calprotectin in ascites, for SBP in patients with liver cirrhosis and ascites before and after antibiotic treatment and to compare the mean values of calprotectin in ascites in patients with and without SBP. This prospective-observational study was comprised of 70 patients with cirrhosis and ascites, divided into two groups, the SBP and the non-SBP group. Quantitative measurements of calprotectin in ascites was completed with the Quantum Blue Calprotectin Ascites test (LF-ASC25), using the Quantum Blue Reader. The average value of calprotectin in the SBP group was 1.5 ± 0.40 μg / mL, and in the non-SBP group it was lower (0.4 ± 0.30). The difference between the mean values was statistically significant with p <0.05. The mean value of calprotectin in ascites before therapy among the SBP group was 1.5 ± 0.4, and after antibiotic therapy, the value decreased significantly to 1.0 ± 0.6; the difference between the mean values was statistically significant with p <0.05. ROC analysis indicated that calprotectin contributed to the diagnosis of SBP with a 94.3% sensitivity rating (to correctly identify positives), and the specificity was 62.5%, which corresponded to the value of 0.275. Our research confirmed that ascitic calprotectin was a good predictor, and is significantly associated with the occurrence of SBP in patients with liver cirrhosis. By monitoring the value of calprotectin in ascites on the 7th day of antibiotic treatment, the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment in patients with SBP can be determined.

Microbial spectrum and antibiotic sensitivity in cirrhotic patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis

Objective: There are reports of changing microbial profile of ascitic fluid in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) and developing resistance of these bacteria to commonly used antibiotics. This study was done to determine the micro-organism causing SBP and their sensitivity to various antibiotics. Setting and Methods: This observational study was done in Medical department of Sheikh Zayed Medical College/Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan from March to November 2019. Thirty five cirrhotic patients with ascites admitted in ward for various reasons and having positive ascitic fluid culture were included in the study. Exclusion criteria was presence of secondary bacterial peritonitis. Ten ml of ascitic fluid was inoculated in blood culture bottle and sent immediately to hospital laboratory. Results: The mean age of these 35 patients was 48.94 ± 13.51 years with a range of 19 to 80 years. Twenty (57.1 %) patients were male and 15 (42.9 %) were female. Bacteria that had caused SBP were E.coli (62.9 %), staph aureus (11.4 %), klebsiella (8.6 %), streptococci (8.6 %), gram positive cocci (5.7 %) and pseudomonas aeruginosa (2.8 %). Imipenem had high sensitivity rate (100 %) along with amikacin (82.9 %) and cefoperazone-sulbactam (68.6 %). Sensitivity of these organisms to other commonly used antibiotics were: ciprofloxacin 57.1 %, ofloxacin 40 %, norfloxacin 37.1 %, ceftazidime 34.3 %, ceftriaxone 31.4 % and piperacillin-tazobactam 25.7 %. Conclusion: We found that E.coli was the commonest bacteria causing SBP, and ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin have significantly high resistance rate in these patients. Key words: cirrhosis, ascitic fluid, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, antibiotic sensitivity

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Unsuspected Spontaneous Ascitic Fluid Infection in Cirrhotics Undergoing Therapeutic Paracentesis in an Outpatient Clinic

Background and Aim: Ascites is a common complication of liver cirrhosis, making patients more vulnerable to infectious diseases such as spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. There hasn't been much research done on infectious ascitic fluid in asymptomatic patients. The purpose of the study was to find out the infectious asymptomatic ascitic fluid incidence and risk factors in liver cirrhotic patients. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 76 cirrhotic patients who underwent therapeutic paracentesis between September 2020 and February 2021 in an outpatient department of Jinnah Medical College, Peshawar. An 18-G catheter was used to collect ascitic fluid under strict aseptic conditions. Total and differential leucocyte counts, as well as total protein and albumin levels, were measured. The fluid was injected for bacterial culture of aerobic type and anaerobic blood culture bottles (10 mL each) under strict aseptic conditions. Individuals with abdominal pain, recent gastrointestinal bleeding, fever, SBP previous history, hepatic encephalopathy, impaired renal function, and treatment with antibodies were excluded. Written informed consent and ethical approval were taken prior to study conduction. Demographic details, liver disease severity, and etiology were noted along with laboratory technique-based biochemical tests, ascitic fluid count, and culture. SPSS version 20 was used for data analysis. Results: A total of 192 paracenteses were done on 76 liver cirrhosis patients with an average of 2.53 per patient. The overall mean age was 43.65±8.7 years. Of the total 76 patients, 55 (72.4%) were male and 21 (27.6%) were female. The ascites duration for study inclusion was 3 to12 months. Hepatitis B, fatty liver disease, hepatitis C, and drugs were the major causes of cirrhosis among study patients. The prevalence of Hepatitis B, fatty liver disease, hepatitis C, and drugs was 27 (35.5), 23 (30.3%), 11 (14.5%), and 15 (19.7%) respectively. The hepatic encephalopathy and variceal bleeding history were present in 16 (33.3%) and 32 (66.7%) respectively in a total of 48 (63.2%) cirrhosis patients. The class C and child Pugh class had 23 (30.3%) and 53 (69.7%) respectively. Null mortality was found in patients due to infection caused by spontaneous ascitic fluid. Conclusion: Our study found that hepatitis B, fatty liver disease, hepatitis C, and drugs were the major causes of cirrhosis. Asymptomatic ascitic fluid infection was extremely rare in cirrhotic patients who attended an outpatient clinic and underwent therapeutic paracentesis. Additionally, our study found that the peritoneal fluid asymptomatic spontaneous infection is rare among cirrhotic patients undergoing outpatient base therapeutic paracentesis. Further investigation for ascitic fluid analysis's role in such infection without treatment is to be carried out. Keywords: Ascitic fluid; Cirrhosis; Infection; Therapeutic paracentesis; Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis