Association between acid suppressive therapy and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhotic patients with ascites

Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) or histamine-2 receptor antagonist (H2RA) therapy may cause intestinal bacterial overgrowth and translocation. Therefore, acid suppressive therapy may increase the risk of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in cirrhotic patients with ascites.

A total of 176 cirrhotic patients with ascites who underwent diagnostic paracentesis between September 2004 and April 2009 were included in the analysis. Patients with gastrointestinal hemorrhage and/or antibiotic therapy within 2 weeks prior to hospital admission were excluded. SBP was defined as ≥250/mm(3) polymorphonuclear white blood cells with or without a positive culture from the ascitic fluid. Eighty-three patients (mean age 56.1 years, 63 males) had SBP and 93 (mean age 54.7 years, 75 males) did not.

On the multivariate analysis, a Child-Pugh class C (OR = 2.890, 95% CI 1.443-5.786; p = 0.003), high MELD scores (≥ 20, OR = 3.540, 95% CI 1.155-10.849; p = 0.027), and PPI use (OR = 3.443, 95% CI 1.164-10.188; p = 0.025) were risk factors for SBP. H2RA was not associated with SBP.

PPI use, as well as Child-Pugh class C and high MELD scores, was an independent risk factor for the development of SBP in cirrhotic patients with ascites. Further prospective studies are warranted to clarify this issue.