Early initiation of diuretic therapy in patients with new onset cirrhotic ascites lowers 90-day mortality rate, according to a study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Researchers examined medical records of 302 patients admitted with new onset cirrhotic ascites. They also evaluated the effect of adherence to ascites quality indicators on clinical outcomes. The majority of patients were males, over 50 years of age, with alcohol-related cirrhosis.
Here are four insights:
1. Twenty-nine percent were readmitted within 30 days.
2. Patients who received an abdominal paracentesis within 30 days of ascites diagnosis or during index hospitalization were significantly less likely to experience a 30-day emergent readmission.
3. A total of 18.5 percent of patients died within 90 days of index admission.
4. Pneumonia was the most frequent cause of death.