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5.4.1 - Abdominal Paracentesis

from Section 5.4 - Practical Gastrointestinal System

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 July 2023

By
Jonathan Barnes
Edited by
Ned Gilbert-Kawai ,
Debashish Dutta  and
Carl Waldmann
Ned Gilbert-Kawai
Affiliation:
The Royal Liverpool Hospital
Debashish Dutta
Affiliation:
Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow
Carl Waldmann
Affiliation:
Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading
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Summary

Key Learning Points

  1. 1. Abdominal drains should be inserted under ultrasound guidance.

  2. 2. Use the ‘Z-track’ technique to minimise complications.

  3. 3. Pay attention to volume replacement, particularly in the critically unwell patient.

  4. 4. Antibiotic administration should not be delayed in cases of suspected spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

  5. 5. Differentiating transudative from exudative ascites is achieved by calculating the serum–ascites albumin gradient.

Keywords

paracentesisascitic drainascitesserum-ascites albumin gradientspontaneous bacterial peritonitis
Type
Chapter
Information
Intensive Care Medicine
The Essential Guide
 , pp. 611 - 613
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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References

References and Further Reading

Aithal, GP, Palaniyappan, N, China, L, et al. Guidelines on the management of ascites in cirrhosis. Gut 2021;70:9–29.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moore, K, Aithal, G. Guidelines on the management of ascites in cirrhosis. Gut 2006;55:1–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

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