Revista de enfermedades tropicales y salud pública

Abstracto

Bacteraemia is a serious complication in chronic liver patients

Farrah Bilal

Patients of chronic liver diseases face a fatal complication known as bacteraemia which leads to gastrointestinal bleeding and hepatic encephalopathy. Bacterial peritonitis and bacteraemia is common in liver cirrhosis but site of infection does not depend to aetiology of the liver disease. Along with bacteraemia, urinary tract infections and respiratory tract infections are the most frequent bacterial infections complications seen in cirrhotic patients. So, clinical suspicion of bacteraemia is an indication of deterioration in the patients, increasing encephalopathy. Streptococci and Gram negative enteric are common organisms that cause infections in liver patients of Pakistan. Therefore, we have been conducted a descriptive research study in various health care centres of Pakistan in duration of three month. The incidence of bacteraemia in cirrhotic patients admitted in hospital with ascites has been estimated to range between 7 and 24%. The diagnosis is performed by polymorphonuclear cell count in ascites fluid higher than 250/mm3. The diagnosis of SIBO is based on the use of glucose breath hydrogen tests or quantitative culture of jejunal aspirate. More than 70% patients have positive culture of bacterial peritonitis and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) has been shown to frequently occur in the setting of chronic liver diseases. Initial results of our study showed that cephalosporins are the most commonly used antibiotic treatment in bacteraemia complication with liver disease.