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BMC Gastroenterology Sep 2022Malignancy-related ascites accounts for approximately 10% of causes of ascites. Our AIM was to characterize the ascites fluid and correlate clinical outcomes in those...
BACKGROUND
Malignancy-related ascites accounts for approximately 10% of causes of ascites. Our AIM was to characterize the ascites fluid and correlate clinical outcomes in those with extrahepatic malignancy and ascites.
METHODS
241 subjects with extrahepatic solid tumors and ascites were reviewed from 1/1/2000 to 12/31/2019, 119 without liver metastasis and 122 with liver metastasis.
RESULTS
Ascites fluid consistent with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) was most common, 150/241 (62%), followed by fluid reflecting the presence of portal hypertension (PH), 69/241 (29%). 22/241 (9%) had low SAAG and low ascites fluid total protein, with evidence of PC on cytology and or imaging in 20/22. Lung cancer was the most common malignancy in subjects with ascites due to PC at 36/150 (24%), pancreatic cancer was the most common in subjects with ascites with features of PH at 16/69 (23%). Chemotherapy or immunotherapy alone was the most common management approach. Significantly higher 5-year, 3-year and 1-year mortality rate were noted in subjects with evidence of PC on cytology/imaging versus subjects with no evidence of PC, and in subjects with liver metastasis compared to subjects without liver metastasis. Subjects with pancreatic cancer and evidence of PC on cytology/imaging had higher 1 and 5-year mortality rates compared to subjects without PC.
CONCLUSIONS
Ascites in solid tumor malignancy is most commonly due to PC. We also observed ascites fluid with characteristics of PH in 29% of subjects. Higher mortality rates in subjects with peritoneal carcinomatosis and liver metastasis were noted. These findings may help inform prognosis and treatment strategies.
Topics: Ascites; Ascitic Fluid; Humans; Hypertension, Portal; Liver Neoplasms; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Peritoneal Neoplasms
PubMed: 36064324
DOI: 10.1186/s12876-022-02487-4 -
The American Journal of Gastroenterology Feb 2024Hospital readmissions are common in patients with cirrhosis, but there are few studies describing readmission preventability. We aimed to describe the incidence, causes,...
INTRODUCTION
Hospital readmissions are common in patients with cirrhosis, but there are few studies describing readmission preventability. We aimed to describe the incidence, causes, and risk factors for preventable readmission in this population.
METHODS
We performed a prospective cohort study of patients with cirrhosis hospitalized at a single center between June 2014 and March 2020 and followed up for 30 days postdischarge. Demographic, clinical, and socioeconomic data, functional status, and quality of life were collected. Readmission preventability was independently and systematically adjudicated by 3 reviewers. Multinomial logistic regression was used to compare those with (i) preventable readmission, (ii) nonpreventable readmission/death, and (iii) no readmission.
RESULTS
Of 654 patients, 246 (38%) were readmitted, and 29 (12%) were preventable readmissions. Reviewers agreed on preventability for 70% of readmissions. Twenty-two (including 2 with preventable readmission) died. The most common reasons for readmission were hepatic encephalopathy (22%), gastrointestinal bleeding (13%), acute kidney injury (13%), and ascites (6%), and these reasons were similar between preventable and nonpreventable readmissions. Preventable readmission was often related to paracentesis timeliness, diuretic adjustment monitoring, and hepatic encephalopathy treatment. Compared with nonreadmitted patients, preventable readmission was independently associated with racial and ethnic minoritized individuals (odds ratio [OR] 5.80; 95% CI, 1.96-17.13), nonmarried marital status (OR 2.88; 95% CI, 1.18-7.05), and admission in the prior 30 days (OR 3.45; 95% CI, 1.48-8.04).
DISCUSSION
For patients with cirrhosis, readmission is common, but most are not preventable. Preventable readmissions are often related to ascites and hepatic encephalopathy and are associated with racial and ethnic minorities, nonmarried status, and prior admissions.
Topics: Humans; Patient Readmission; Prospective Studies; Hepatic Encephalopathy; Ascites; Aftercare; Quality of Life; Patient Discharge; Liver Cirrhosis; Risk Factors; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 37543729
DOI: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000002455 -
JAMA Network Open Jul 2023The potential association of low-volume paracentesis of less than 5 L with complications in patients with ascites remains unclear, and individuals with cirrhosis and...
IMPORTANCE
The potential association of low-volume paracentesis of less than 5 L with complications in patients with ascites remains unclear, and individuals with cirrhosis and refractory ascites (RA) treated with devices like Alfapump or tunneled-intraperitoneal catheters perform daily low-volume drainage without albumin substitution. Studies indicate marked differences regarding the daily drainage volume between patients; however, it is currently unknown if this alters the clinical course.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the incidence of complications, such as hyponatremia or acute kidney injury (AKI), is associated with the daily drainage volume in patients with devices.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
This retrospective cohort study of patients with liver cirrhosis, RA, and a contraindication for a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt who received either device implantation or standard of care (SOC; ie, repeated large-volume paracentesis with albumin infusion), and were hospitalized between 2012 and 2020 were included. Data were analyzed from April to October 2022.
INTERVENTIONS
Daily ascites volume removed.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
The primary end points were 90-day incidence of hyponatremia and AKI. Propensity score matching was performed to match and compare patients with devices and higher or lower drainage volumes to those who received SOC.
RESULTS
Overall, 250 patients with RA receiving either device implantation (179 [72%] patients; 125 [70%] male; 54 [30%] female; mean [SD] age, 59 [11] years) or SOC (71 [28%] patients; 41 [67%] male; 20 [33%] female; mean [SD] age, 54 [8]) were included in this study. A cutoff of 1.5 L/d or more was identified to estimate hyponatremia and AKI in the included patients with devices. Drainage of 1.5 L/d or more was associated with hyponatremia and AKI, even after adjusting for various confounders (hazard ratio [HR], 2.17 [95% CI, 1.24-3.78]; P = .006; HR, 1.43 [95% CI, 1.01-2.16]; P = .04, respectively). Moreover, patients with taps of 1.5 L/d or more and less than 1.5 L/d were matched with patients receiving SOC. Those with taps of 1.5 L/d or more had a higher risk of hyponatremia and AKI compared with those receiving SOC (HR, 1.67 [95% CI, 1.06-2.68]; P = .02 and HR, 1.51 [95% CI, 1.04-2.18]; P = .03), while patients with drainage of less than 1.5 L/d did not show an increased rate of complications compared with those receiving SOC.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
In this cohort study, clinical complications in patients with RA performing low-volume drainage without albumin infusion were associated with the daily volume drained. Based on this analysis, physicians should be cautious in patients performing drainage of 1.5 L/d or more without albumin infusion.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Middle Aged; Paracentesis; Ascites; Cohort Studies; Retrospective Studies; Hyponatremia; Liver Cirrhosis; Albumins; Acute Kidney Injury
PubMed: 37410459
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.22048 -
Pediatric Surgery International Nov 2022Fetuses with persistent cloaca are known to develop urine or meconium backflow into the abdominal cavity caused by obstruction of the common channel, thus leading to...
PURPOSE
Fetuses with persistent cloaca are known to develop urine or meconium backflow into the abdominal cavity caused by obstruction of the common channel, thus leading to fetal peritonitis with fetal ascites. We analyzed the impact of prenatal fetal ascites on postnatal clinical features and management.
METHODS
This retrospective single-center cohort study was conducted to compare the perinatal parameters of patients with isolated persistent cloaca who were born and treated at our hospital between 1991 and 2021. The clinical features and management of those with and without fetal ascites were compared.
RESULTS
Among the 17 eligible patients, fetal ascites were recognized in seven. The occurrence of fetal ascites was significantly related to preterm birth, higher birth weight z-score, birth via emergency cesarean delivery, low Apgar scores at 1 min and 5 min, higher C-reactive protein levels at birth, longer duration of oxygen administration, the need for a urinary drainage catheter at initial discharge, and shorter neonatal hospital stays.
CONCLUSIONS
The postnatal management of patients with persistent cloaca with fetal ascites differed significantly from that of patients without fetal ascites. For patients with unexplained fetal ascites, magnetic resonance imaging may be helpful for determining the definite diagnosis of persistent cloaca.
Topics: Animals; Ascites; C-Reactive Protein; Cloaca; Cohort Studies; Digestive System Abnormalities; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Intestinal Diseases; Oxygen; Pregnancy; Premature Birth; Retrospective Studies; Ultrasonography, Prenatal
PubMed: 36053329
DOI: 10.1007/s00383-022-05204-0 -
Radiology Mar 2021Refractory ascites is a costly and debilitating condition that occurs most frequently in the setting of substantial cirrhotic portal hypertension, where it portends a... (Review)
Review
Refractory ascites is a costly and debilitating condition that occurs most frequently in the setting of substantial cirrhotic portal hypertension, where it portends a poor prognosis. Many treatment options are available, among them medical management, serial large volume paracenteses, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts, and implanted drainage devices. Although the availability of multiple therapies ensures that most patients will achieve satisfactory results, it can be challenging for the provider to select the appropriate treatment for each specific patient. This article reviews the available therapeutic options for refractory ascites and incorporates available data and clinical experience to suggest a linear stepwise management approach to enhance patient outcomes.
Topics: Ascites; Combined Modality Therapy; Humans; Hypertension, Portal; Prognosis
PubMed: 33497318
DOI: 10.1148/radiol.2021201960 -
The American Journal of the Medical... Oct 2022
Topics: Ascites; Endometriosis; Exudates and Transudates; Female; Humans; Pleural Effusion
PubMed: 35588893
DOI: 10.1016/j.amjms.2022.02.016 -
ESMO Open Apr 2023Malignant ascites is common in metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPC) and its management still remains a clinical challenge. Early identification of patients at risk for...
BACKGROUND
Malignant ascites is common in metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPC) and its management still remains a clinical challenge. Early identification of patients at risk for ascites development may support and guide treatment decisions.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Data of patients treated for mPC at the Medical University of Vienna between 2010 and 2019 were collected by retrospective chart review. Ascites was defined as clinically relevant accumulation of intraperitoneal fluid diagnosed by ultrasound or computer tomography scan of the abdomen. We investigated the association between general risk factors, metastatic sites, liver function, systemic inflammation as well as portal vein obstruction (PVO) and ascites development.
RESULTS
Among 581 patients with mPC included in this study, 122 (21.0%) developed ascites after a median of 8.7 months after diagnosis of metastatic disease. The occurrence of ascites led to an 8.9-fold increased risk of death [confidence interval (CI) 7.2-11, P < 0.001] with a median overall survival of 1 month thereafter. Clinical risk factors for ascites were male sex [hazard ratio (HR) 1.71, CI 1.00-2.90, P = 0.048], peritoneal carcinomatosis (HR 6.79, CI 4.09-11.3, P < 0.001), liver metastases (HR 2.16, CI 1.19-3.91, P = 0.011), an albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score grade 3 (HR 6.79, CI 2.11-21.8, P = 0.001), PVO (HR 2.28, CI 1.15-4.52, P = 0.019), and an elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) (HR 4.19, CI 1.58-11.1, P = 0.004).
CONCLUSIONS
Survival after diagnosis of ascites is very limited in mPC patients. Male sex, liver and peritoneal metastases, impaired liver function, PVO, as well as systemic inflammation were identified as independent risk factors for ascites development in this uniquely large real-life patient cohort.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Retrospective Studies; Ascites; Risk Factors; Inflammation; Pancreatic Neoplasms
PubMed: 36989885
DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2023.101200 -
World Journal of Surgical Oncology Dec 2020To fully assess the quality of the guidelines for the management of malignant pleural effusions (MPE) and ascites and reveal the heterogeneity of recommendations and... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
To fully assess the quality of the guidelines for the management of malignant pleural effusions (MPE) and ascites and reveal the heterogeneity of recommendations and possible reasons among guidelines.
METHODS
A systematic search was performed in the database to obtain guidelines for the management of MPE and ascites. The AGREE IIGtool was used to assess the quality of these guidelines. The Measurement Scale of Rate of Agreement (MSRA) was introduced to assess the scientific agreement of formulated recommendations for the management of MPE and ascites among guidelines, and evidence supporting these recommendations was extracted and analyzed.
RESULTS
Nine guidelines were identified. Only 4 guidelines scored more than 60% and are worth recommending. Recommendations were also heterogeneous among guidelines for the management of MPE, and the main reasons were the different emphases of the recommendations for the treatment of MPE, the contradictions in recommendations, and the unreasonably cited evidence for MPE.
CONCLUSIONS
The quality of the management guidelines for patients with MPE and malignant ascites was highly variable. Specific improvement of the factors leading to the heterogeneity of recommendations will be a reasonable and effective way for developers to upgrade the recommendations in the guidelines for MPE.
Topics: Ascites; Humans; Pleural Effusion, Malignant; Prognosis
PubMed: 33308239
DOI: 10.1186/s12957-020-02097-y -
Journal of Applied Clinical Medical... Jul 2022The detection of abdominal free fluid or hemoperitoneum can provide critical information for clinical diagnosis and treatment, particularly in emergencies. This study...
PURPOSE
The detection of abdominal free fluid or hemoperitoneum can provide critical information for clinical diagnosis and treatment, particularly in emergencies. This study investigates the use of deep learning (DL) for identifying peritoneal free fluid in ultrasonography (US) images of the abdominal cavity, which can help inexperienced physicians or non-professional people in diagnosis. It focuses specifically on first-response scenarios involving focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) technique.
METHODS
A total of 2985 US images were collected from ascites patients treated from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2017 at the Shenzhen Second People's Hospital. The data were categorized as Ascites-1, Ascites-2, or Ascites-3, based on the surrounding anatomy. A uniform standard for regions of interest (ROIs) and the lack of obstruction from acoustic shadow was used to classify positive samples. These images were then divided into training (90%) and test (10%) datasets to evaluate the performance of a U-net model, utilizing an encoder-decoder architecture and contracting and expansive paths, developed as part of the study.
RESULTS
Test results produced sensitivity and specificity values of 94.38% and 68.13%, respectively, in the diagnosis of Ascites-1 US images, with an average Dice coefficient of 0.65 (standard deviation [SD] = 0.21). Similarly, the sensitivity and specificity for Ascites-2 were 97.12% and 86.33%, respectively, with an average Dice coefficient of 0.79 (SD = 0.14). The accuracy and area under the curve (AUC) were 81.25% and 0.76 for Ascites-1 and 91.73% and 0.91 for Ascites-2.
CONCLUSION
The results produced by the U-net demonstrate the viability of DL for automated ascites diagnosis. This suggests the proposed technique could be highly valuable for improving FAST-based preliminary diagnoses, particularly in emergency scenarios.
Topics: Abdomen; Ascites; Deep Learning; Humans; Sensitivity and Specificity; Ultrasonography
PubMed: 35723875
DOI: 10.1002/acm2.13695 -
Obstetrics and Gynecology Dec 2021To describe the etiology of isolated fetal ascites and associated perinatal outcomes, and to assess the progression of isolated fetal ascites to fetal hydrops.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the etiology of isolated fetal ascites and associated perinatal outcomes, and to assess the progression of isolated fetal ascites to fetal hydrops.
DATA SOURCES
PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases were searched using the following keywords: "fetus" OR "foetal" OR "fetal" OR "foetus" AND "ascites" from inception to February 2020. The search was limited to the English language.
METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION
A total of 1,983 articles were identified through the search strategy. All studies containing five or more cases of isolated fetal ascites were included.
TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS
Eleven studies, involving 315 cases of isolated fetal ascites, were eligible for inclusion in this systematic review. All included studies were evaluated using the tool for evaluating the methodologic quality of case reports and case series described by Murad et al. Data were summarized using narrative review and descriptive statistics. Two-tailed Fisher exact P values calculated from hypergeometric distribution were used to compare outcome by etiology. CIs were calculated with Clopper-Pearson exact binomial interval. The etiologies of isolated fetal ascites are genitourinary (24%), gastrointestinal (20%), viral or bacterial infections (9%), cardiac (9%), genetic disorders not otherwise categorized (8%), chylous ascites (6%), metabolic storage disorders (3%), other structural disorders (4%), other causes (4%) and idiopathic (13%). Survival is most favorable for cases of isolated fetal ascites as a result of chylous (100%), idiopathic (90%), gastrointestinal (77%) and genitourinary (77%) etiologies. Survival is least favorable for fetuses with isolated fetal ascites as a result of structural disorders (25%), cardiac etiology (32%) and metabolic storage disorders (33.3%). When pregnancy terminations were excluded, survival rates were similar between fetuses diagnosed at or after 24 weeks of gestation compared with those diagnosed at less than 24 weeks (74% vs 61%, P=.06). Progression of fetal ascites to fetal hydrops occurred in 6.6% (95% CI 3.6-9.6%) (17/259) of cases when pregnancies that were terminated were excluded.
CONCLUSION
Isolated fetal ascites has a diverse etiology. Outcome is related to the etiology of isolated fetal ascites. In the majority of cases, fetal ascites does not progress to fetal hydrops.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
PROSPERO, CRD42020213930.
Topics: Ascites; Disease Progression; Female; Fetal Death; Fetal Diseases; Gestational Age; Humans; Hydrops Fetalis; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Survival Rate
PubMed: 34735407
DOI: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000004605