Ascitic Fluid Culture in Cirrhotic Patients with Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis

To determine the frequency and compare the culture yield of bacterial isolation by conventional and blood culture BACTEC bottle techniques in cirrhotic patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP).

Cross-sectional comparative study.

Pathology Department, Bannu Medical College, Bannu, KPK, from January 2012 to December 2013.

Paracentesis of 20 ml of ascitic fluid tapped from cirrhotic patients with SBPwas carried out by a single technologist. The analysis included differential leukocyte count (DLC), while 5 ml each of the fluid was inoculated into conventional culture media and BACTEC blood culture bottle. All the data were analysed on (SPSS) version 16 to determine frequencies with percentages and mean values with standard deviation. Chi-square test was used for comparing the yield of conventional and blood culture bottle methods. P-value was considered significant if < 0.05.

In 105 cases of ascitic fluid analyses, 27 (25.72%) had positive ascitic fluid culture whereas 78 (74.28%) had negative ascitic fluid culture. Ascitic fluid culture was positive in 6 cases by conventional culture media and in 27 cases by BACTEC culture bottle media (p < 0.001). Bacterial isolation was obtained by both culture methods in 6 cases (p < 0.001).

Direct bedside inoculation of ascitic fluid by BACTEC culture bottle method has better yield as compared to conventional culture method.