Large-Volume Paracentesis in Patients with Cirrhotic Ascites: Does It Increase the Risk of Serious Bleeding and the Need for Transfusion?

Background: Liver cirrhosis is the most common cause of ascites. For cirrhotic ascites that does not respond to diuretics and salt restriction, large-volume paracentesis is an alternative option. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of patients admitted to the Day care unit at King Abdulaziz University Hospital for therapeutic paracentesis of cirrhotic ascites was performed from March 2013-April 2014. The demographic data and results, including the platelet count, hemoglobin level, prothrombin time (PT), international normalized ratio (INR), serum creatinine, serum albumin, and bilirubin levels, were recorded. We recorded all of the bleeding episodes. Results: We recorded 118 admissions for 13 patients. Nine of them were male (69.2%), and the mean age was 58.6 ± 15.8 years. All patients had a Child-Pugh score of C. The platelet count was lower than normal for 78 admissions (66.1%), and the PT was prolonged for 99 admissions (84%). Three episodes of bleeding occurred in our cohort, all of which were mild and controlled by the local application of pressure. One patient required a platelet transfusion for severe thrombocytopenia, low platelets count was associated with elevated creatinine and low albumin levels (P = 0.014 and 0.003, respectively). Similarly, a prolonged PT was associated with low albumin, high bilirubin, low platelet, and high creatinine levels (P = 0.013, < 0.001, = 0.006, and < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Large-volume paracentesis is associated with only a small risk of bleeding in patients with cirrhotic ascites, and a transfusion of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and platelets is not needed for the majority of patients.