Background: The aim of this study was to determine whether a short course of ceftriaxone was sufficient to cure spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in cirrhotic patients.
Methods: We studied 33 cirrhotic patients with SBP. All of them were treated with ceftriaxone, 1.0 g IV, every 12 h for 5 days. Twenty-one variables were recorded to evaluate their relationship to the resolution of SBP.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 45 years. Twenty-three were males and 10 females. The etiology of cirrhosis was alcoholic in 42% of the patients, and 82% of the patients belonged to Child-Pugh Class C. Hepatic encephalopathy was present in 39% of the patients. The most frequent organism causing SBP was Escherichia coli (60%). Resolution of SBP on day 5 of treatment was achieved in 73% of the patients. Total resolution of SBP after prolonged therapy with ceftriaxone or another agent. selected according to antibiotic susceptibility, was achieved in 94% of the patients. Hospital mortality was 12%. Multivariate analysis showed no factor that was significantly related to the resolution of SBP, but univariate analysis showed that renal impairment and positive culture tended to be related.
Conclusions: A short course (5 days) of ceftriaxone is useful therapy for SBP. If the polymorphonuclear differential count in ascitic fluid is less than 250 cells/mm3 on day 5 of treatment, the antibiotic can be discontinued.