[Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis: a comparative study of 2 methods of ascitic fluid culture]

The sensitivity in the diagnosis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis of ascitic fluid inoculation in blood culture bottles has been compared with the conventional method. We have analyzed 74 positive ascitic fluid cultures from 64 patients, the samples being processed by both techniques simultaneously. While all the ascitic fluid cultures performed by inoculation in blood culture bottles were positive, in only 42 from the 74 conventional cultures (56, 75%) bacterial growth was detected (p less than 0.001). Nineteen bacterascites were diagnosed by inoculation in blood culture bottles and 10 by the conventional method (p = NS). Gram stain was only positive in 3 spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (6%). We conclude that ascitic fluid inoculation in blood culture bottles improves significantly the sensitivity of the microbiological diagnosis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, without increasing the diagnosis of bacterascites.