Pathogens of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis change in northern China.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the identity of microorganisms isolated from patients diagnosed with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP).


METHODS
We reviewed cases diagnosed with SBP over a 14-year period. The medical records of 780 SBP-diagnosed patients with decompensated cirrhosis and ascites admitted to Tangdu Hospital, Xian, Shaanxi Province, China were retrospectively reviewed between January 1996 and December 2009. The patients were placed into 2 groups, and the clinical data were compared between the 2 groups. Ascitic fluid was collected from these patients and cultured for bacteria using the MicroScan WalkAway 40 system.


RESULTS
There was a significant difference in the ratio of pathogens between group A (48 patients, from January 1996 to December 2002) and group B (50 patients, from January 2003 to December 2009) (χ²=9.630, p=0.002). The SBP patients with gram-positive bacteria needed significantly more antibiotics within 30 days compared to those with gram-negative bacteria (χ²=12.285, p=0.000).


CONCLUSIONS
In recent years, the types of isolated pathogens have significantly changed in northern China. Such changes have also been observed in other countries and have been attributed to long-term antibiotic therapy and invasive procedures. Changes in the epidemiology of pathogens that cause SBP must be monitored for optimal treatment.
Center of Infectious Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, No. 1 Xinsi Road, Ba Qiao District, Xian 710038, Shaanxi Province, China. gouyanzi@126.com
Yan-Zi Yan-Zi
YZ
Gou
Bo
B
Liu
Lei
L
Pan
Hai-Tao
HT
Yu
Jiu-Ping
JP
Wang
Ding-Cheng
DC
Wang
D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies