Feasibility of a fast-track randomized controlled trial of cell-free and concentrated ascites reinfusion therapy for patients with refractory malignant ascites.

BACKGROUND: Malignant ascites often causes discomfort in advanced cancer patients. Paracentesis is the most common treatment modality, but it requires frequently repeated treatment. Cell-free and concentrated ascites reinfusion therapy (CART) may prolong the paracentesis interval, but controlled trials are lacking. We assessed the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial of CART vs. paracentesis alone for patients with refractory malignant ascites. METHODS: This study was an open-label, fast-track, randomized controlled, feasibility trial. Patients admitted to four designated cancer hospitals who received no further anticancer treatments were eligible. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to a CART arm or control (simple paracentesis) arm. The feasibility endpoint was the percentage of patients who completed the study intervention. Secondary endpoints included paracentesis-free survival, patient's request on the questionnaire for paracentesis (PRO-paracentesis)-free survival (the period until the patients first reported that they would want paracentesis if indicated), and adverse events. RESULTS: We screened 953 patients for eligibility. Of 61 patients with refractory malignant ascites, 21 patients were determined as eligible. Finally, 20 patients consented and were allocated; 18 patients (90%, 95% CI: 68.3-98.8) completed the study intervention. All patients had an ECOG performance status of 3 or 4. The median drained ascites volume was 3,200 mL in the CART arm and 2,500 mL in the control arm. In the CART arm, the median reinfused albumin volume was 12.6 g. Median paracentesis-free survivals were 5 days (95% CI: 2-6) in the CART arm, and 6 days (3-9) in the control arm. Median PRO-paracentesis-free survivals were 4 days (2-5) and 5 days (1-9), respectively. A total of 73% of patients received paracentesis within 2 days from their first request for the next paracentesis. One patient in the CART arm developed Grade 1 fever. CONCLUSIONS: A fast-track randomized controlled trial of CART for patients with malignant ascites is feasible. The efficacy and safety of CART should be assessed in future trials. PRO-paracentesis-free survival may be a complementary outcome measure with paracentesis-free survival in future trials. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered at University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry as UMIN000031029 . Registered on 28/01/2018.

3D-Slicer Software-Assisted Neuroendoscopic Surgery in the Treatment of Hypertensive Cerebral Hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the 3D-slicer software-assisted endoscopic treatment for patients with hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage. METHODS: A total of 120 patients with hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage were selected and randomly divided into control group and 3D-slicer group with 60 cases each. Patients in the control group underwent traditional imaging positioning craniotomy, and patients in the 3D-slicer group underwent 3D-slicer followed by precision puncture treatment. In this paper, we evaluate the hematoma clearance rate, nerve function, ability of daily living, complication rate, and prognosis. RESULTS: The 3D-slicer group is better than the control group in various indicators. Compared with the control group, the 3D-slicer group has lower complications, slightly higher hematoma clearance rate, and better recovery of nerve function and daily living ability before and after surgery. The incidence of poor prognosis is low. CONCLUSION: The 3D-slicer software-assisted endoscopic treatment for patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage has a better hematoma clearance effect, which is beneficial to the patient's early recovery and reduces the damage to the brain nerve of the patient.

Prevalence, risk factors, and short-term outcomes of postparacentesis acute kidney injury using revised criteria of the international club of ascites.

ABSTRACT: Acute kidney injury (AKI) can become complicated after paracentesis due to extrarenal fluid loss and inadequate blood flow to the kidneys. The objective of this study was to explore the incidence and clinical implications of postparacentesis AKI.A retrospective cohort of 137 liver cirrhosis patients (mean age: 61.3 ±â€Š11.8 years, male: 100 [73.0%], viral hepatitis: 93 [67.9%]) who underwent paracentesis was analyzed. The incidence of AKI as defined by the international club of ascites (ICA) criteria, the risk factors, and its impact on early mortality were all assessed.Thirty two patients (23.4%) developed AKI after paracentesis. In multivariate analysis, the Model for end-stage liver disease (MELD)-Na score was an independent factor associated with AKI development (odds ratio [OR], 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-1.23) after paracentesis. The incidence of early mortality was significantly higher for those with AKI than without AKI (71.9% [23/32 patients] vs 11.4% [12/105 patients], P < .001). AKI (hazard ratio [HR], 7.56; 95% CI, 3.40-16.8) and MELD-Na score (HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.02-1.14) were independent factors associated with early mortality. In subgroup analysis, AKI after paracentesis was associated with significantly higher early mortality in both MELD-Na groups, that is, patients with a MELD-Na score >26 (87.5% vs 22.2%, P < .001) and those with a MELD-Na score ≤26 (56.3% vs 9.2%, P < .001).Postparacentesis AKI occurred frequently in cirrhotic patients. Furthermore, it was associated with early mortality. Baseline MELD-Na score was associated with AKI, indicating that careful attention is required for those with a higher MELD-Na score who are being considered for therapeutic paracentesis.

Approach to Bartholin's abscesses and recurrences under office conditions.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the various treatment methods and recurrence rates regarding Bartholin's gland abscesses under office conditions in our clinic. METHODS: In our study, the data of 155 patients who applied to the gynaecology and obstetrics clinic of our hospital between January 2017 and November 2020 and had Bartholin's abscess that was treated with surgical methods under office conditions were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Of the 155 patients included in the study, 111 underwent incision drainage, 22 underwent marsupialization, and 22 underwent incision drainage+ silver nitrate. Bartholin's abscess was localized on the right side in 48.4% of the patients and on the left side in 51.6% of the patients. Recurrence was detected in 53 of 155 patients included. Recurrence was detected in 39.6% of the patients who underwent incision drainage in the first treatment, 31.8% of those who underwent marsupialization, and 9.1% of those who underwent incision+silver nitrate. The difference in success, based on recurrence rates, was found to be statistically significantly in favour of silver nitrate (p<0.05). In secondary treatments for recurrent cases, marsupialization or incision+silver nitrate treatment was effective in over 90% of cases, while incision drainage was effective in 30% of patients. CONCLUSION: The findings of our study show that silver nitrate application led to a lower recurrence rate than the other two methods. In view of this, we recommend that marsupialization or silver nitrate be preferred, especially in the treatment of recurrent cases.

Contemporary utility of diagnostic peritoneal aspiration in trauma.

BACKGROUND: Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) has supplanted diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL) as the preferred bedside evaluation for traumatic hemoperitoneum. Diagnostic peritoneal aspiration (DPA) is a simpler, faster modification of DPL with an unclear role in contemporary practice. This study delineated modern roles for DPA and defined its diagnostic yield. METHODS: All trauma patients presenting to our Level I center who underwent DPA were included (May 2015 to May 2020). Demographics, comorbidities, clinical/injury data, and outcomes were collected. The diagnostic yield and accuracy of DPA were calculated against the criterion standard of hemoperitoneum at exploratory laparotomy or computed tomography scan. RESULTS: In total, 41 patients underwent DPA, typically after blunt trauma (n = 37, 90%). Patients were almost exclusively hypotensive (n = 20, 49%) or in arrest (n = 18, 44%). Most patients had an equivocal or negative FAST and hypotension or return of spontaneous circulation after resuscitative thoracotomy (n = 32, 78%); or had a positive FAST and known cirrhosis (n = 4, 10%). In two (5%) patients, one obese, the catheter failed to access the peritoneal cavity. Diagnostic peritoneal aspiration sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 80%, 100%, 100%, and 90%, with an accuracy of 93%. One (2%) complication, a small bowel injury, occurred. CONCLUSION: Despite near ubiquitous FAST availability, DPA remains important in diagnosing or excluding hemoperitoneum with exceedingly low rates of failure and complications. Diagnostic peritoneal aspiration is most conclusive when positive, without false positives in this study. Diagnostic peritoneal aspiration was most used among blunt hypotensive or postarrest patients who had an equivocal or negative FAST, in whom the preliminary diagnosis of hemoperitoneum is a critically important decision making branch point. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic, level III.

The Surgical Treatment of Peritonsillar Abscess: A Retrospective Analysis in 584 Patients.

OBJECTIVES: There are three surgical treatment options for patients with peritonsillar abscess (PTA): needle aspiration, incision and drainage (ID), and abscess tonsillectomy (ATE). The updated German national guideline (2015) included changes in the treatment of PTA. The indication for tonsillectomy (TE) in patients became more stringent and preference was given to ID in certain cases. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. METHODS: We performed a retrospective systematic analysis of patient data using the in-house electronic patient records and considered a 4-year period from 2014 to 2017. About 584 patients were identified. Our aim was to analyze the influence of the updated guideline on clinical practice. RESULTS: 236 of 584 patients (40.4%) underwent ATE with contralateral TE. In 225 patients (38.5%), unilateral ATE was performed. Mean surgery time was significantly shortened when only unilateral ATE was performed. Concerning postoperative bleeding, we noted a tendency toward a lower incidence after ATE in comparison to ATE with contralateral TE. Less than 1% of patients who underwent ATE had to be revised surgically due to postoperative hemorrhage. After the revision of the guideline, unilateral ATE and ID were conducted more frequently. CONCLUSION: These results support that ATE in an inpatient setting is a considerably safe and effective primary therapeutic option. ID represents a favorable treatment option for patients with PTA and comorbidities, nevertheless, patient compliance is required and insufficient drainage or recurrence of PTA may occur. The revision of the guideline had a significant impact on the choice of interventions (P < .001), which is reflected by the increased number of unilateral ATE. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 131:2706-2712, 2021.

Safety of transvaginal aspiration of cysts in pregnancies complicated with ovarian endometrioma.

OBJECTIVES: Pregnancy complicated with ovarian endometrioma is a risk factor for preterm delivery and rupture or infection during pregnancy. This study aimed to clarify the effectiveness and safety of transvaginal aspiration during pregnancy for endometrioma diagnosed in the first trimester. DESIGN: This retrospective observational study included 8 pregnant women with endometrioma who underwent transvaginal cyst aspiration at 12-14 weeks (aspiration group) between March 2011-March 2018 and 23 pregnant women with endometrioma who refused aspiration during the same period (observation group). METHODS: Characteristics of patients were compared in both groups. Safety, feasability and complications of transvaginal cyst aspiration were reported. Complications and obstetrical outcomes were reported and compared in both groups. RESULTS: The maximum cyst diameter was 8.9 ± 1.5 cm (mean ± standard deviation) in the aspiration group, which was significantly larger than that in the observation group (4.7 ± 0.2 cm). Four preterm deliveries (17.3%) occurred in the observation group and none in the aspiration group. The emergency cesarean section rate during delivery was 14.2% in the aspiration group and 43.7% in the observation group. CONCLUSIONS: The aspiration group tended to have lower rate of preterm deliveries and emergency cesarean sections, suggesting that cyst aspiration could be an effective, minimally invasive, and safe management option for endometrioma during pregnancy.

Development and validation a simple model for identify malignant ascites.

The differential diagnosis of benign ascites and malignant ascites is incredibly challenging for clinicians. This research aimed to develop a user-friendly predictive model to discriminate malignant ascites from non-malignant ascites through easy-to-obtain clinical parameters. All patients with new-onset ascites fluid were recruited from January 2014 to December 2018. The medical records of 317 patients with ascites for various reasons in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University were collected and reviewed retrospectively. Thirty-six parameters were included and selected using univariate logistic regression, multivariate logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses to establish a mathematical model for differential diagnosis, and its diagnostic performance was validated in the other groups. Age, cholesterol, hypersensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in serum, ascitic fluid adenosine deaminase (AF ADA), ascitic fluid lactate dehydrogenase (AF LDH) involvement in a 5-marker model. With a cut-off level of 0.83, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under the ROC of the model for identifying malignant ascites in the development dataset were 84.7%, 88.8%, 87.6%, and 0.874 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.822-0.926), respectively, and 80.9%, 82.6%, 81.5%, and 0.863 (95% CI,0.817-0.913) in the validation dataset, respectively. The diagnostic model has a similar high diagnostic performance in both the development and validation datasets. The mathematical diagnostic model based on the five markers is a user-friendly method to differentiate malignant ascites from benign ascites with high efficiency.

Characterization of Pediatric Breast Abscesses and Optimal Treatment: A Retrospective Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Literature on pediatric breast abscesses is sparse; therefore, treatment is based on adult literature which has shifted from incision and drainage (I&D) to needle aspiration. However, children may require different treatment due to different risk factors and the presence of a developing breast bud. We sought to characterize pediatric breast abscesses and compare outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of patients presenting with a primary breast abscess from January 2008 to December 2018 was conducted. Primary outcome was persistent disease. Antibiotic utilization, treatment required, and risk factors for abscess and recurrence were also assessed. A follow-up survey regarding scarring, deformity, and further procedures was administered. Fisher's exact and Kruskal-Wallis tests for group comparisons and multivariable regression to determine associations with recurrence were performed. RESULTS: Ninety-six patients were included. The median age was 12.8 y [IQR 4.9, 14.3], 81% were women, and 51% were African-American. Most commonly, patients were treated with antibiotics alone (47%), followed by I&D (27%), and aspiration (26%). Twelve patients (13%) had persistent disease. There was no difference in demographic or clinical characteristics between those with persistent disease and those who responded to initial treatment. The success rates of primary treatment were 80% with antibiotics alone, 90% with aspiration, and 96% with I&D (P = 0.35). The median time to follow-up survey was 6.5 y [IQR 4.4, 8.5]. Four patients who underwent I&D initially reported significant scarring. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment modality was not associated with persistent disease. A trial of antibiotics alone may be considered to minimize the risk of breast bud damage and adverse cosmetic outcomes with invasive intervention.

Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on the management of patients with liver diseases: A national survey by the Italian association for the study of the Liver.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on national and regional health systems. The impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the quality of care for patients with liver disease is still unknown. AIMS: The Italian Association for the Study of the Liver (AISF) conducted a survey to assess the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on hepatology units activities in Italy. METHODS: A prospective web-based survey was proposed to all AISF active members. The survey was available online from April 8 2020, to May 3 2020, (lockdown phase in Italy). RESULTS: 194 AISF members answered the questionnaire, most of whom were specialists in Gastroenterology (41%) or Internal Medicine (28%), and worked in Northern Italy (51%). 26% of hepatology wards had been converted into COVID-19 wards, and 33% had bed reductions. All hepatological activities, including the management of patients with decompensated liver disease, liver transplant and HCC had been significantly reduced/stopped. The number of physicians answering that their practices had not been modified ranged between 0.6% (for chronic hepatitis) to 47% (for the execution of paracentesis). The recorded answers were consistent among different regions, and did not show any north-south gradient CONCLUSION: COVID-19 outbreak significantly impacted on hepatological clinical activity. This survey can serve as a basis to compare the impact of future measures aimed at delivering an acceptable level of liver care during a national pandemic or crisis.

Using Artificial Intelligence to Predict Surgical Shunts in Men with Ischemic Priapism.

PURPOSE: Ischemic priapism is a urological emergency that requires prompt intervention to preserve erectile function. Characteristics that influence escalation to surgical intervention remain unclear. We identified factors and developed machine learning models to predict which men presenting with ischemic priapism will require shunting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified men with ischemic priapism admitted to the emergency department of our large county hospital between January 2010 and June 2019. We collected patient demographics, etiology, duration of priapism prior to intervention, interventions attempted and escalation to shunting. Machine learning models were trained and tested using R to predict which patients require surgical shunting. RESULTS: A total of 334 encounters of ischemic priapism were identified. The majority resolved with intracavernosal phenylephrine injection and/or cavernous aspiration (78%). Shunting was required in 10% of men. Median duration of priapism before intervention was longer for men requiring shunting than for men who did not (48 vs 7 hours, p=0.030). Patients with sickle cell disease as the etiology were less likely to require shunting compared to all other etiologies (2.2% vs 15.2%, p=0.035). CONCLUSIONS: Men with longer duration of priapism before treatment more often underwent shunting. However, phenylephrine injection and aspiration remained effective for priapism lasting more than 36 hours. Having sickle cell disease as the etiology of priapism was protective against requiring shunting. We developed artificial intelligence models that performed with 87.2% accuracy and created an online probability calculator to determine which patients with ischemic priapism may require shunting.

Frequency, characteristics and impact of multiple consecutive nosocomial infections in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis and ascites.

BACKGROUND: Nosocomial infections are a particular threat for patients with liver cirrhosis. It is not uncommon that individuals develop even several consecutive infections during a single hospital stay. We aimed to investigate the impact and characteristics of multiple, consecutive nosocomial infections. METHODS: A total of 514 consecutive patients with liver cirrhosis and ascites were included and followed up for 28 days for nosocomial infection, death or liver transplantation (LTx). Laboratory values were assessed at the time of hospitalization as well as at the onset of each new infectious episode. RESULTS: 58% (n = 298) of the patients developed at least one nosocomial infection and in 23% (n = 119) even multiple infections were documented during a single hospital stay. Consecutive infections usually occurred shortly after the previous episode. Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) was the most common infection. However, the proportion of SBP declined from 43% at the first to only 31% at the third nosocomial infection (p = 0.096). In contrast, the likelihood for other, less common types of infection such as blood stream infections increased. Third nosocomial infections were also more likely to be linked to the detection of fungal pathogens (21% vs. 52%; p = 0.001). Each additional infectious episode had a dramatic detrimental impact on LTx-free survival that was independent from the stage of liver disease (adjusted-HR: 6.76, p = 0.002 for first nosocomial infection; adjusted-HR: 14.69, p<0.001 for second nosocomial infection; adjusted-HR: 24.95, p<0.001 for third nosocomial infection). CONCLUSION: In patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis LTx-free survival significantly decreases with every consecutive infectious episode. Development of prevention strategies is urgently required.

Early Paracentesis in High-Risk Hospitalized Patients: Time for a New Quality Indicator.

INTRODUCTION: Symptomatic ascites is the most common indication for hospitalization in patients with cirrhosis. Although guidelines recommend paracentesis for all inpatients with ascites, the timing of paracentesis is likely to be crucial. Performance of an early paracentesis and its relationship to outcomes are unknown, particularly among patients at high risk of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). METHODS: We included 75,462 discharges of adult patients with cirrhosis presenting with ascites who underwent paracentesis from the State Inpatient Databases of New York, Florida, and Washington from 2009 to 2013. High-risk patients were identified as having concomitant hepatic encephalopathy or acute kidney injury present on admission. The primary outcome was performance of early paracentesis (within 1 hospital day) with secondary outcomes being inpatient mortality, SBP-related mortality, and 30-day readmission. Multivariable logistic regression models included a priori covariates known to impact outcomes. RESULTS: There were 43,492 (57.6%) patients who underwent early paracentesis. High-risk patients (27,496) had lower rates of early paracentesis (52.8% vs 60.5%, P < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, high-risk patients had significantly decreased odds of undergoing early paracentesis (odds ratio [OR] 0.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.71-0.78, P < 0.001). Early paracentesis was associated with a reduced inpatient all-cause mortality (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.63-0.73, P < 0.001), SBP-related mortality (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.73-0.94, P = 0.01), and 30-day readmission (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.82-0.92, P < 0.001). DISCUSSION: Early paracentesis is associated with reduced inpatient mortality, SBP-related mortality, and 30-day readmission. Given its impact on outcomes, early paracentesis should be a new quality metric. Further education and interventions are needed to improve both adherence and outcomes.

Trends in the management of peritonsillar abscess in children: A nationwide population-based study in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVE: Population-based studies analyzing peritonsillar abscess in children are lacking. In this study, a population-based survey of the epidemiology of pediatric peritonsillar abscess in Taiwan was conducted. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. All cases of inpatient pediatric peritonsillar abscess (age < 18 years) in Taiwan between 2000 and 2012 were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. Incidence rates of inpatient peritonsillar abscess in children were calculated. Characteristics such as age, gender, hospital level, treatment modalities, imaging studies, drug administration, and length of hospital stays during the study period were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 12,965 children with peritonsillar abscess were included (mean age, 6.6 years [standard deviation, 4.8 years]; 56.5% boys). The overall incidence was 18 per 100,000 children. Incidence rates decreased from 2000 to 2012 (19.1/100,000 to 8.3/100,000 children) (ptrend < 0.001). During the study period, the proportion of peritonsillar abscess treatments at medical centers increased from 4.6% to 15.0%. The proportion of treatments involving incision and drainage or needle aspiration increased significantly (1.3%-4.1% and 49.4%-65.6%, respectively), whereas treatments with antibiotics only decreased significantly (48.9%-29.0%). The use of computed tomography (CT) increased (1.4%-12%, ptrend < 0.001). The use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, and penicillin increased during the study period. The mean length of hospital stays increased from 3.78 to 4.67 days. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of peritonsillar abscess in children decreased between 2000 and 2012 in Taiwan. Moreover, increasing trends were observed in the use of CT, the rates of incision and drainage and needle aspiration procedures, and the length of hospital stay in this study cohort.

How spontaneous pneumothorax is managed in emergency departments: a French multicentre descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Management of spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) is still subject to debate. Although encouraging results of recent studies about outpatient management with chest drains fitted with a one-way valve, no data exist concerning application of this strategy in real life conditions. We assessed how SP are managed in Emergency departments (EDs), in particular the role of outpatient management, the types of interventions and the specialty of the physicians who perform these interventions. METHODS: From June 2009 to May 2013, all cases of spontaneous primary (PSP) and spontaneous secondary pneumothorax (SSP) from EDs of 14 hospitals in France were retrospectively included. First line treatment (observation, aspiration, thoracic drainage or surgery), type of management (admitted, discharged to home directly from the ED, outpatient management) and the specialty of the physicians were collected from the medical files of the ED. RESULTS: Among 1868 SP included, an outpatient management strategy was chosen in 179 PSP (10%) and 38 SSP (2%), mostly when no intervention was performed. Only 25 PSP (1%) were treated by aspiration and discharged to home after ED admission. Observation was the chosen strategy for 985 patients (53%). In 883 patients with an intervention (47%), it was performed by emergency physicians in 71% of cases and thoracic drainage was the most frequent choice (670 patients, 76%). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed the low level of implementation of outpatient management for PS in France. Despite encouraging results of studies concerning outpatient management, chest tube drainage and hospitalization remain preponderant in the treatment of SP.

Peritoneal Dialysis Is Feasible as a Bridge to Combined Liver-Kidney Transplant.

Patients with combined liver and kidney failure may remain on dialysis for years while awaiting simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation (SLKT). The role of peritoneal dialysis (PD) in patients with advanced liver and kidney failure awaiting SLKT remains to be defined. We present our single-institution experience with PD in cirrhotics, 3 of whom went on to receive successful SLKT. Patients initiated in our PD program between 2006 and 2016 who had both liver and kidney failure were identified. Medical and dialysis records were reviewed retrospectively. Outcomes included mortality, transplantation status, hospitalizations, need for large-volume paracentesis (LVP), peritonitis rates, PD treatment longevity, and albumin level. Twelve patients with combined liver and kidney failure were treated in our PD program. No patients died and 3 patients received SLKT. Four patients remain listed for transplantation. There was no need for LVP after initiating dialysis. The rate of peritonitis was 0.2 events per patient per year, most commonly due to coagulase-negative Staphylococcus Our data illustrate that PD is a viable bridging therapy for patients with liver and kidney failure who await SLKT.

A dedicated paracentesis clinic decreases healthcare utilization for serial paracenteses in decompensated cirrhosis.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study is to describe the effect of a dedicated paracentesis clinic on healthcare utilization by patients with decompensated cirrhosis and refractory ascites. METHODS: This Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective study identified cirrhotic patients receiving paracenteses over a 6-month period before and after creating the paracentesis clinic. Patients were followed for 12 months to collect outcome data including characteristics of subsequent hospitalizations and paracenteses. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between the paracentesis clinic and outcomes. RESULTS: There were 183 patients and 1364 paracenteses performed during the study time period. Age, gender, cirrhosis etiology, MELD, Child-Pugh, and Charlson comorbidity index were comparable between the two groups. Rates of mortality, transplant, and hospitalization were also similar during 1 year follow-up. After establishment of the paracentesis clinic, median paracenteses per patient increased from 2 (IQR 1-7) to 4 (IQR 2-11) (P = 0.01); albumin replacement after paracenteses ≥ 5 L improved from 76.3% to 91.7% (P < 0.001); and the fraction of outpatient paracenteses performed in the emergency department decreased from 13.4% to 3.8% (P < 0.001). Major complications remained negligible at 0.81% across both time periods. While fewer patients were admitted for ascites after the paracentesis clinic (39.6% vs. 20.8%, P = 0.009), more patients had acute kidney injury (AKI) during follow-up (47.2% vs. 65.9%, P = 0.02), with a trend towards more AKI admissions (22.6% vs. 35.4%, P = 0.09). CONCLUSION: A dedicated paracentesis clinic can improve access and wait times, while also reducing admissions for ascites and paracenteses performed in the emergency department.

Vascular Ultrasonography: A Novel Method to Reduce Paracentesis Related Major Bleeding.

Paracentesis is a core competency for hospitalists. Using ultrasound for fluid localization is standard practice and involves a low-frequency probe. Experts recommend a "2-probe technique, " which incorporates a high-frequency ultrasound probe in addition to the low-frequency probe to identify blood vessels within the intended needle path. Evidence is currently lacking to support this 2-probe technique, so we performed a pre- to postintervention study to evaluate its effect on paracentesis-related bleeding complications. From February 2010 to August 2011, procedures were performed using only low-frequency probes (preintervention group), while the 2-probe technique was used from September 2011 to February 2016 (postintervention group). A total of 5777 procedures were performed. Paracentesis-related minor bleeding was similar between groups. Major bleeding was lower in the postintervention group (3 [0.3%], n = 1000 vs 4 [0.08%], n = 4777; P = 0.07). This clinically meaningful trend suggests that using the 2-probe technique might prevent paracentesis-related major bleeding.

Cirrhosis with ascites in the last year of life: a nationwide analysis of factors shaping costs, health-care use, and place of death in England.

BACKGROUND: Liver disease mortality increased by 400% in the UK between 1970 and 2010, resulting in rising pressures on acute hospital services, and an increasing need for end-of-life care. We aimed to assess the effect of demographic, clinical, and health-care factors on costs, patterns of health-care use, and place of death in a national cohort of patients with cirrhosis and ascites in their last year of life. METHODS: We did a retrospective, nationwide analysis of all patients who died from cirrhosis in England between 2013 and 2015, who required large-volume paracentesis in their last year of life. The outcomes measured were health-care costs accrued in the last year of life, number of inpatient days in last year of life, 30-day readmission rate, and occurrence of unplanned hospital death (probability of dying in hospital after unplanned admission). Using generalised linear and logistic regression models, we examined the effect of 12 independent variables on each outcome: sex, ethnicity, age at death, index of multiple deprivation quintile, year of death, liver disease causing death, place of death, time from index presentation in last year of life to death, whether enrolled in a day-case paracentesis service (care group), paracentesis ratio (number of day-case large-volume paracentesis procedures as a proportion of the total number of procedures in the last year of life), number of hospital episodes in the last year of life (not involving large-volume paracentesis), and number of large-volume paracentesis procedures in the last year of life. FINDINGS: Between Jan 1, 2013, and Dec 31, 2015, 13 818 people in England died from liver disease and had large-volume paracentesis within their last year of life. For all patients, mean cost of the last year of life was £21 113 (SD 16 881), 17 888 (52·5%) of 34 068 readmissions occurred within 30 days of discharge, and 10 341 (74·8%) of 13 818 deaths occurred in hospital, of which 10 045 (97·1%) followed an emergency hospital admission. Patients who attended a day-case large-volume paracentesis service within their last year of life had significant reductions in cost (-£4240, 95% CI -4829 to -3651; p<0·0001), number of inpatient bed days (-16·98 days, -18·45 to -15·51; p<0·0001), probability of early readmission (odds ratio [OR] 0·35, 95% CI 0·31 to 0·40; p<0·0001), and probability of dying in hospital after unplanned admission (0·31, 0·27 to 0·34; p<0·0001), compared with patients who had unplanned care. For patients enrolled in day-case services, improvements in outcomes correlated with the proportion of large-volume paracentesis procedures done in a day-case (vs unplanned) setting. INTERPRETATION: The use of day-case large-volume paracentesis services in the last year of life was associated with lower costs, reduced pressure on acute hospital services, and a lower probability of dying in hospital, compared with patients who received exclusively unplanned care in their last year of life. Wider adoption of day-case models of care could reduce costs and improve outcomes in the last year of life. FUNDING: David Telling Charitable Trust.

Paracentesis: datos sobre la correcta utilización / Paracentesis, Appropriate Technique and Clinical Application

La paracentesis es un procedimiento con fines diagnósticos en pacientes con ascitis de novo. Permite detectar la presencia de infección en pacientes con ascitis de larga data. En casos de ascitis a tensión, ascitis refractaria y disnea por restricción es ampliamente utilizada como terapia. El conocimiento general de este procedimiento y de los pormenores de su técnica son de gran importancia, ya que su utilización viene en aumento en los servicios de urgencias, hospitalización general e incluso, en la unidad de cuidados intensivos. Teniendo en cuenta lo anterior, se hace hincapié en la correcta utilización de esta técnica por parte del personal médico. Métodos: Se realizó una búsqueda de la literatura científica en las bases de datos Pubmed y SciELO de artículos con una estrategia definida, limitada a idiomas español e inglés, utilizando una combinación de términos libres y MeSH que incluyeron paracentesis, ascitis, cirrosis hepática y malignidad.

Paracentesis is a diagnostic procedure used in patients with new-onset ascites. It can detect the presence of infection in patients with longstanding ascites. In cases of tense ascites, refractory ascites or restriction dyspnea it is widely used for therapeutical purposes. General knowledge of this procedure is of great importance as well as a detailed understanding of the technique, because its use is increasing in the emergency department, general hospitalization, and even in the intensive care unit. Taking all this into consideration we aim to emphasize on the proper use of this technique by the medical staff.