What is ascites in liver disease

If not promptly diagnosed or treated, patients may develop kidney failure, severe infection in the blood stream or confusion. This infection is treated with intravenous antibiotics, and, after recovery, patients often require treatment with oral antibiotics to prevent infection from recurring. Ascites related hernias : Elevated intra-abdominal pressure can lead to the development of umbilical around the bellybutton and inguinal groin hernias that can cause abdominal discomfort.

Surgical repair is generally avoided unless there is severe pain suggesting the intestines or tissue may be pinched or twisted along with a persistent bulge from the hernia.

Surgeons who have experience in treating patients with cirrhosis should perform these operations. This condition may result in shortness of breath. In general, the development of ascites indicates evidence of advanced liver disease. However, blood clots in the vessels in and around the liver, as well certain types of tumors in the abdomen can also cause ascites.

This test is called a paracentesis. The development of ascites generally suggests that the liver is not working well. The most important step to treat ascites is to strictly reduce sodium intake. Excessive fluid in the abdomen can put pressure on the diaphragm which in turn presses on the lungs causing difficulty in breathing.

Fluid can also sometimes travel into the chest which would also cause difficulty in breathing. You may also experience leg swelling, which in itself is not a symptom of ascites, but may often be present as well because both are due primarily to low protein levels in the blood altering the way fluids pass through the walls of blood vessels and cells. The main treatments for ascites and oedema are sodium restriction low salt diet and diuretics, such as spironolactone and Furosemide.

It can be helpful to see a dietitian about how to manage on such a strict diet. Some patients benefit from having the fluid drained off the abdomen with a needle and tube.

This usually needs to be repeated every few weeks. Patients considered at higher risk of infection may be offered prophylactic preventative antibiotics to take every day.

Michael went to his GP in feeling unwell. When he was informed that he had alcohol-related liver disease, Michael stopped drinking immediately. If ascites becomes uncomfortable or makes breathing or eating difficult, the fluid may be removed through a needle inserted into the abdomen—a procedure called therapeutic paracentesis.

The fluid tends to reaccumulate unless people also follow a low-sodium diet and take a diuretic. Because a large amount of albumin is usually lost from the blood into the abdominal fluid, albumin may be given intravenously. If large amounts of fluid accumulate frequently or if other treatments are ineffective, a portosystemic shunt or liver transplantation Liver Transplantation Liver transplantation is the surgical removal of a healthy liver or sometimes a part of a liver from a living person and then its transfer into a person whose liver no longer functions.

The portosystemic shunt Portosystemic shunting Portal hypertension is abnormally high blood pressure in the portal vein the large vein that brings blood from the intestine to the liver and its branches. However, placement of the shunt is an invasive procedure and can cause problems, such as deterioration of brain function hepatic encephalopathy Hepatic Encephalopathy Hepatic encephalopathy is deterioration of brain function that occurs in people with severe liver disease because toxic substances normally removed by the liver build up in the blood and reach If spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is diagnosed, people are given antibiotics such as cefotaxime.

Because this infection often recurs within a year, a different antibiotic such as norfloxacin is given after the initial infection resolves to prevent the infection from recurring.

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Common Health Topics. Complications of ascites. Manifestations of Liver Disease. Test your knowledge. Jaundice is a condition in which the skin and white parts of the eyes appear yellow. It occurs when there is too much bilirubin, a yellow waste product, in the blood. Which of the following is NOT a common cause of jaundice? More Content. Click here for the Professional Version. Usually, a low-sodium diet and diuretics can help eliminate excess fluid.

The most common cause of ascites is. Liver disease. A doctor's evaluation. A low-sodium diet.