Prevelant organisms and their antibiotic sensitivity in cirrhotic ascitic patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis

Seventy five patients with liver cirrhosis, ascites and clinical picture of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) (abdominal pain, fever and or impaired level of consciousness) admitted to Zagazig University Hospital during the period between March and August 2004.Simultaneous samples of ascitic fluid (AF) and serum had been taken from all patients.. Paracentesis was performed during the first hour of hospitalization under aseptic conditions. AF was inoculated directly into nutrient, MacConkey´s, Blood and Sabouraud´s dextrose agars for isolation of aerobes, anaerobes and fungal isolates The AF white blood cell and polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNL) were determined. Patients with polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNL) in ascitic fluid ≥ 250 cells/mm3 were considered to have spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. AF lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), albumin, total protein were also determined. Venous blood samples were taken, under complete aseptic conditions, for determination of liver enzymes, bilirubin total and direct, serum albumin, prothrombin time, serum creatinine, blood urea, complete blood cell counts and blood cultures