Ascitic fluid infection in patients with hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis: Culture-negative neutrocytic ascites versus spontaneous bacterial peritonitis

Background and Aim: Ascitic fluid infection (AFI) consists of culture‐negative neutrocytic ascites (CNNA) and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). The present study compared the clinical characteristics and prognosis of CNNA and SBP in hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐related cirrhotic patients. Methods: We analyzed 130 consecutive patients hospitalized due to the first episode of AFI between January 1998 and December 2007. Results: The mean age of the patients was 52.3 years (88 men, 42 women). Ninety‐three patients (71.5%) had CNNA and 37 patients (28.5%) had SBP; 117 patients (90.0%) died after a median survival period of 6.4 months. Patients with CNNA and SBP survived for a median period of 6.9 months and 5.4 months, respectively (P = 0.417). Patients with SBP showed higher in‐hospital mortality than those with CNNA (16.2 vs 4.3%; P = 0.031). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that culture positivity of ascitic fluid (CNNA vs SBP) was the only independent predictor of in‐hospital mortality (P = 0.042). In a Cox regression model for the 120 patients (92.3%) who survived the first episode of AFI, only the Child–Pugh score remained significant for survival (P = 0.007), whereas no association was observed for culture positivity of ascitic fluid (CNNA vs SBP) during the first episode of AFI (P = 0.752). Conclusions: Although in‐hospital mortality was higher in patients with SBP than CNNA, the clinical course of the two groups was similar after the first episode of AFI. Thus, liver transplantation should be considered, irrespective of culture positivity of ascitic fluid.