| Abstrakt: |
The medical management of cirrhotic ascites has improved greatly during the past few years. There remains, however, a group of patients who either respond slowly or not at all to the most active medical program. In these individuals it is frequently advisable and necessary to remove fluid from the abdomen by paracentesis. Unfortunately, such treatment has been far from satisfactory. If small amounts of fluid are withdrawn, relief is only partial and often of short duration. On the other hand, if the abdomen is emptied, large amounts of body protein are wasted in individuals who can ill afford the loss. In addition, this procedure is frequently followed by reformation of ascites, hyponatremia, hypovolemia, and occasionally hepatic coma.8 The present report describes the results obtained following the simultaneous withdrawal and continuous intravenous administration of unmodified autogenous ascitic fluid in patients with cirrhotic ascites. It is our impression that this method |
