Frequency and Outcomes of Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis in Patients of Chronic Liver Disease

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency and outcomes of Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis (SBP) in patients of Chronic Liver Disease (CLD).
Methodology: This Descriptive cross-sectional study was done at Medicine department of Indus Medical College & Hospital Tando Muhammad Khan, Sindh, Pakistan, from August 2025 to January 2026. One hundred and sixty-three diagnosed cases of Chronic Liver Disease were enrolled using convenience sampling technique. All cases were physically
examined followed by abdominal paracentesis for obtaining ascitic fluid for culture and sensitivity and total white blood cells (WBCs) count for confirming SBP. The chi-square test was employed to evaluate the categorical variables, while the independent samples t-test was utilized to analyze the continuous variables.
Results: Among the 180 patients with CLD, 57.2% were male and 42.8% were female, with a mean age of 49.52 ± 6.55 years. In patients with SBP, the average white blood cell (WBC) count exceeded 600 cells/mm³. Ascitic fluid cultures were positive in only 18.6% of SBP cases, with Escherichia coli (5.1%) and Klebsiella species (6.8%) being the most frequently
isolated pathogens. Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis was diagnosed in 59 (32.8%) patients with CLD. Of the total study population, 167 (92.8%) improved and were discharged from the hospital, while 13 (7.2%) died during hospitalization.
Conclusion: It was concluded that spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is common among hospitalized patients with chronic liver disease, and it is strongly linked to progressive hepatic decompensation, prolonged hospitalization, and mortality.