Paracentesis is associated with reduced mortality in patients hospitalized with cirrhosis and ascites.

ABSTRACT:

Background & aims

Diagnostic paracentesis is recommended for patients with cirrhosis who are admitted to the hospital for ascites or encephalopathy. However, it is not known whether clinicians in the United States adhere to this recommendation; a relationship between paracentesis and clinical outcome has not been reported. We analyzed a U.S. database to determine the frequency of paracentesis and its association with mortality.

Methods

The 2009 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (which contains data from approximately 8 million hospital discharges each year) was used to identify patients with cirrhosis and ascites who were admitted with a primary diagnosis of ascites or encephalopathy. In-hospital mortality, length of stay, and hospital charges were compared for those who did and d

SUBMITTER: Orman ES 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3944409 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature