The prevalence and natural history of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in asymptomatic patients with ascites secondary to cirrhosis is unknown. From a prospectively recorded database, we reviewed the clinical and laboratory features of all outpatients with cirrhotic ascites undergoing paracentesis between July 1994 and December 2000. The prevalence of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in the p...

We report a case of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis from Ochrobactrum anthropi. O. anthropi is recognized as an emerging pathogen in immunocompromised patients. In contrast to most previously described cases, the patient reported here had no indwelling catheter. To our knowledge, no case of O. anthropi spontaneous bacterial peritonitis has been reported in the medical literature until now.

Haemophilus influenzae rarely causes spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. We describe a typical case of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in which the causative organism was identified as nontypeable H. influenzae, biotype III. Infection progressed despite the presence of adequate serum bactericidal antibody, probably due to the absence of complement in ascites fluid.

Cirrhotic patients with ascites and low ascitic fluid total protein and/or high serum bilirubin levels are at high risk to develop the first episode of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis during long-term follow-up. The aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy of continuous long-term selective intestinal decontamination with norfloxacin in the prevention of this complication. One hu...

Acute abdomen during pregnancy is not an uncommon emergency in obstetrical practice. But dilemma occurs when no cause is found despite thorough workup and investigations, even on laparotomy. Peritonitis though may occur during pregnancy following tubal rupture in ectopic pregnancy or other intra abdominal conditions but spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is rarest of rare occurrence during pregn...