Pulmonary function changes after large volume paracentesis.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of large volume paracentesis (LVP) on pulmonary function in patients with cirrhosis of liver and tense ascites.


METHODS
Ten patients having alcoholic cirrhosis with ascites were subjected to LVP (mean 6.3 +/- 0.3 L). Pre and post paracentesis spirometry and arterial blood gas analysis were performed and compared.


RESULTS
Baseline mean lung volumes and arterial pO2 were reduced from normal predicted values. Air flow was found normal. After LVP, an increase in absolute values of vital capacity, forced expiratory flow in first second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow was observed; only the improvement in FEV1 was significant p 0.05). Arterial pO2 also showed significant (p < 0.01) improvement after LVP.


CONCLUSIONS
LVP leads to improvement in measured pulmonary function.
Gupta
D
D
Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Lalrothuama
Agrawal
P N
PN
Aggarwal
A N
AN
Dhiman
R K
RK
Behera
D
D
Chawla
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D001201:Ascites / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications; D008176:Lung Volume Measurements; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019152:Paracentesis / Q000379:methods*; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange / Q000502:physiology*; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation / Q000502:physiology*; D013147:Spirometry; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric