[Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhotic patients over 65 years]

Our aim was to study the episodes of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in cirrhotic patients older than 65 years. Their clinical characteristics were compared with a cohort of cirrhotic patients with SBP.

We conducted a retrospective study on all hospital discharged patients diagnosed with SBP in the period from January 2003 to December 2005, obtaining a total of 158 episodes. Two groups of patients were created: those over 65 (group 1: 73 episodes) and those aged 65 years (group 2: 86 episodes). A descriptive study, an analysis of survival by Kaplan Meier curves (compared with log-rank test) and a Cox regression analysis was conducted comparing the two groups.

In Group 1, males were 74%, the average age was 72.4 (SD 4.2) years, and the Child-Pugh distribution was 8.2% (A), 68.5% (B) and 23.3% (C).The most usual etiology of cirrhosis was viral (65.8%). In comparison with group 2, there was a superior frequency of renal impairment at admission, hepatocellular carcinoma and a viral etiology. Yet the bilirubin levels were higher in group 2. In-hospital mortality rate was 23.3%. The survival at 3 and 6 months was of 69.5% and 54.8%, while in group 2 it was 80.3% and 78.4% respectively (p=0001). An age> 65 years, the existence of hepatocellular carcinoma and a Mean Arterial Pressure <75 mm Hg at admission, in the overall cohort, were independent predictors of mortality.

An age above 65 years is an independent predictor of mortality following the development of an episode of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhotic patients.