Predictive Factors of Recurrence in Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis in Tunisian Patients With Cirrhosis

Abstract

Introduction: Recurrent spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in patients with cirrhosis is associated with poor prognosis. Aim: To assess the prevalence and the risk factors for recurrence and to evaluate its impact on the prognosis. Materials & methods: We conducted a retrospective study including patients with cirrhosis having a first episode of SBP. Results: A recurrence of SBP was identified in 43.4% of the patients who survived after a first episode of SBP. The mean time to onset of the first SBP recurrence from the first episode was 32 days. Recurrence factors were endoscopic hypertensive signs, a positive ascites culture, diarrhea and the MELD score. Conclusion: There was no impact on survival of recurrent SBP compared with the first SBP episode.

Plain Language Summary

Recurrent spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in patients with cirrhosis is associated with poor prognosis. The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence and the risk factors for recurrence and to evaluate its impact on the prognosis. Thus, we conducted a retrospective study including patients with cirrhosis having a first episode of SBP. A recurrence of SBP was identified in 43.4% of the patients who survived after a first episode of SBP. Recurrence factors were endoscopic hypertensive signs, a positive ascites culture, diarrhea and the MELD score.

Keywords:

• cirrhosis
• prognosis
• recurrence
• spontaneous bacterial peritonitis
• Tunisia

Author contributions

N Elleuch and M Moalla largely contributed in the realization of this work. They also collected the data and contributed in writing the article. The other authors have read the manuscript and contributed with some advice and approved this work.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.