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    Ascites

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    Ascites is the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, most commonly caused by portal hypertension from liver cirrhosis. Other potential causes include malignancy or infection, which are important to differentiate for patient care. Symptoms include increased abdominal size and shortness of breath from respiratory compromise if massive amounts of fluid are present. Diagnosis involves physical examination, imaging, and paracentesis of fluid for characterization. Treatment ranges from sodium restriction for mild ascites to diuretic therapy for moderate amounts and procedures like repeated paracentesis or TIPS for larger volumes.

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    Ascites

    Uploaded by

    rdj
    147 views4 pages
    Ascites is the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, most commonly caused by portal hypertension from liver cirrhosis. Other potential causes include malignancy or infection, which are important to differentiate for patient care. Symptoms include increased abdominal size and shortness of breath from respiratory compromise if massive amounts of fluid are present. Diagnosis involves physical examination, imaging, and paracentesis of fluid for characterization. Treatment ranges from sodium restriction for mild ascites to diuretic therapy for moderate amounts and procedures like repeated paracentesis or TIPS for larger volumes.

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    Ascites is the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, most commonly caused by portal hypertension from liver cirrhosis. Other potential causes include malignancy or infection, which are important to differentiate for patient care. Symptoms include increased abdominal size and shortness of breath from respiratory compromise if massive amounts of fluid are present. Diagnosis involves physical examination, imaging, and paracentesis of fluid for characterization. Treatment ranges from sodium restriction for mild ascites to diuretic therapy for moderate amounts and procedures like repeated paracentesis or TIPS for larger volumes.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    147 views4 pages

    Ascites

    Uploaded by

    rdj
    Ascites is the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, most commonly caused by portal hypertension from liver cirrhosis. Other potential causes include malignancy or infection, which are important to differentiate for patient care. Symptoms include increased abdominal size and shortness of breath from respiratory compromise if massive amounts of fluid are present. Diagnosis involves physical examination, imaging, and paracentesis of fluid for characterization. Treatment ranges from sodium restriction for mild ascites to diuretic therapy for moderate amounts and procedures like repeated paracentesis or TIPS for larger volumes.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    of 4

    ASCITES

    • Ascites is the accumulation of fluid within the peritoneal cavity.


    • Most common cause of ascites is portal hypertension related to
    cirrhosis.
    • Malignant or infections can also cause ascites
    • Differentiation of these other causes are important for patient care.
    Clinical Features
    • Increase in abdominal girth. Accompanied by the development of
    peripheral edema.
    • Development of ascites is often insidious.
    • Patients usually have 1-2 L pf fluid in the abdomen before they are
    aware that there is an increase.
    • If massive, respiratory function can be compromised causing shortness
    of breath.
    • Hepatic hydrothorax may also occur.
    • Patients with massive ascites are often malnourishes and have muscle
    wasting and excessive fatigue and weakness.
    Diagnosis
    • By physical examination aided by abdominal imaging.
    • Patients will have bulging flanks, may have a fluid wave or presence of
    shifting dullness.
    • Subtle amounts of ascites can be detected by ultrasound or CT
    scanning.
    • Recommended diagnostic for patients with ascites for the first time
    is paracentesis to characterize the fluid.
    • In patients with cirrhosis, the protein concentration of the ascites
    fluidis low, majority will have a concentration of <1g/dL.
    Treatment
    • Small amounts of ascites can be managed with dietary sodium restriction alone.
    • <2g of sodium per day is recommended amount.
    • Eat fresh or frozen food, avoiding canned or processed foods.

    • Moderate ascites: diuretic therapy is usually necessary.


                                        Spironolactone at 100 –200 mg/d as a single dose
                                         Furosemide may be added at 40 –80 mg/d in patients with
    peripheral edema.
    • Alternative treatment including repeated large volume paracentesis or TIPS
    procedure should be considered.

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