The efficacy of liver biopsy under ultrasonographic guidance on an outpatient basis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the safety and compliance of outpatient echo-guided liver biopsy (ELB) when compared to those performed on inpatients (IP).


METHODS
From June 1996 to November 2000, we carried out 418 ELB on patients with diffuse liver disease: 246 inpatients (IP ELB) and 172 in a Day Hospital setting (DH ELB). The same inclusion and exclusion criteria were followed for both groups of patients, performing the same echo-guided intercostal liver biopsy with free-hand technique and post biopsy assessment with colordoppler examination; post biopsy follow-up consisted of 6-h bed rest and blood pressure and heart rate monitoring up to discharge. DH patients were discharged 8 h after biopsy, if they did not live further than a 30-min trip from the hospital. In both groups, the following data was evaluated: death rate, sample adequacy, number of passages, major and minor complications, pain score.


RESULTS
The data analysed in our series show that ELB DH presents no fundamental differences in morbidity and mortality when compared to ELB IP.
Spiezia
Stefano
S
Department of Surgery, ASL NA1 Santa Maria del Popolo degli Incurabili Hospital, via M Longo 50, 80138, Naples, Italy. stefanospiezia@tisali.it
Salvio
Antonio
A
Di Somma
Carolina
C
Scelzi
Caterina
C
Assanti
Angelo Pio
AP
Giannattasio
Francesco
F
Varriale
Maria
M
Visconti
Mario
M
D000553:Ambulatory Care; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional