The Rhodiascit system--individual response to reinfusion possibly related to angiotensin sensitivity: preliminary results.

Introduction The effectiveness of reinfusion of concentrated ascitic fluid (Rhodiascit system) in treatment of 'refractory ascites' is well established (L6vy et al., 1971). Besides this absolute indication its usefulness has been stressed in situations that require quick drying up of the ascites (Van Waes, van Quickenborne and Demeulenaere, 1973). Our experience with this technique has been previously reported (Van Waes and Demeulenaere, 1973; Van Waes et al., 1973). Attention has been drawn to the strikingly different individual response after this treatment. Purely symptomatic in some, reinfusion seems to induce more lasting effects in others, e.g. by restoring the lost equilibrium in acute decompensation upon a well defined and controllable cause; by reset of the sensitivity to diuretic treatment in patients who became refractory to it; perhaps by the possibility to increase the interval between subsequent reinfusions in absence of a significant variation in liver function. In this paper we shall only emphasize the immediate effects of reinfusion on diuresis and sodium excretion, and longterm behaviour of the patients after reinfusion.