RT Book, Section
A1 Greenberger, Norton J.
A2 Greenberger, Norton J.
A2 Blumberg, Richard S.
A2 Burakoff, Robert
SR Print(0)
ID 55961300
T1 Chapter 45. Ascites & Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis
T2 CURRENT Diagnosis & Treatment: Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Endoscopy, 2e
YR 2012
FD 2012
PB The McGraw-Hill Companies
PP New York, NY
SN 978-0-07-176848-1
LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=55961300
RD 2024/04/18
AB All  patients  with  cirrhosis  and  ascites  on  admission  should  undergo  diagnostic  paracentesis.Diagnosis  of  spontaneous  bacterial  peritonitis  (SBP)  is  usually  established  by  an  elevated  ascitic  fluid  polymorphonuclear  leukocyte  (PMN)  count  >250  cells/mL.  Whereas  some  patients  with  ascites  have  peritoneal  fluid  PMN  counts  >250  cells/mL,  all  patients  with  SBP  do.The  most  useful  parameter  for  classifying  ascites  is  the  serum–albumin  peritoneal  fluid  albumin  gradient  (SAAG).With  98%  accuracy  a  SAAG  value  >1.1  g/dL  is  consistent  with  ascites  secondary  to  portal  hypertension.SAAG  values  <1.1  g/dL  can  occur  in  ascites  due  to  infection,  inflammation,  or  neoplasm.