Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis

A form of peritonitis, usually seen in patients with ascites secondary to liver cirrhosis

• Abdominal pain and fever in patients with ascites
• Diagnosis is made from paracentesis, with a raised neutrophil count of over 250 cells
• Most common causative organism is Escherichia coli then Klebselia pneumoniae
• Give broad-spec antibiotics to those with a ascitic protein of <15g/L