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[Spontaneous ascitic infection in cirrhotic Africans. Descriptive study apropos of 12 cases]
K A Attia1, T N'dri-Yoman, A Sawadogo
1Service de médecine générale et d'hépato-gastro-entérologie, CHU de Yopougon, 21 BP 632 Abidjan 21, Côte-d'Ivoire. attia_alain@hotmail.com
Background:
Spontaneous ascitic infection (SAI) is a frequent and serious complication of cirrhosis.
Objective:
In a retrospective study, the authors report clinical and biological data associated with SAI for cirrhotic patients in an African medical centre.
Methods:
Twenty-two cirrhotic patients with ascites were included in a one-year study (November 1996 to October 1997). Clinical and biological data were obtained through medical files.
Findings:
The mean age of the 22 cirrhotic patients with ascites (12 men, 10 women) was 48.9 years. Twelve cases of SAI were found. In a univariate analysis, the more frequent data in patients with SAI when compared to patients without SAI were: fever or hypothermia (91.7% versus 10%, p = 0.002), abdominal pain (83.3% versus 40%, p = 0.046), cloudy ascitic fluid (66.7% versus 10%, p = 0.003), medium albuminemia (18.2 g/l versus 23 g/l, p = 0.02), medium prothrombin rate (42.8% versus 58.3%; p = 0.04) and ascitic fluid protein level < or = 10 g/l (91.7% versus 30%, p = 0.01). The protein level in ascitic fluid cirrhotic patients was significantly lower in SAI than in patients without SAI (7.6 g/l versus 11 g/l; p = 0.005). In a multivariate analysis, protein levels in ascitic fluid were the only factor associated with SAI (p = 0.024).