title: [Assessment of the fulfillment of paracentesis in cirrotic patients admited in two services of internal medicine in hospitals of median complexity].
abstract: The Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis (SBP) is a severe complication of cirrhosis. The prognosis depends on the time of initiation of therapy that is required for early diagnosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the performance of diagnostic paracentesis (DP) in cirrhotic patients with ascites during hospitalization.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational, analytical, prospective, study conducted during October 2009 to June 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 92 income, average age was 60.3 years (SD 11.7), corresponding to 57.6% men, the most common etiology of CH was alcohol (48.9%). There were 40 PD (43.5%), of which 35% positive SBP. Of the DP, 47.5% were performed on admission and / or submission of warning signs. The average period of hospitalization was higher in those who underwent late DP. The MELD score both at admission and discharge was significantlyhigher in patients on admission punctured.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DP was done in less than half of hospitalized cirrhotic, and its timely completion only 1 in 5 of revenues. The DP perform at the right time reduces hospital days.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Norte. Coquimbo, Chile.
authors.forename: Cinthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carvajal
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Norte. Coquimbo, Chile.
authors.forename: Pía
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Contreras
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Norte. Coquimbo, Chile.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Covarrubias
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Norte. Coquimbo, Chile.
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bresky
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Norte. Coquimbo, Chile.
authors.forename: Domingo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lancelloti
mesh_terms: D001201:Ascites / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019152:Paracentesis; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies