STUDY OF BACTERIAL INFECTIONS IN PATIENTS V/ITH LIVER CIRRHOSIS

Abstract

Bacterial infection is a severe and potentially fatal complication of advanced liver cirrhosis. Careful diagnosis and treatment result in successful resolution of infections in most instances.

This work is aimed to study the type of bacterial infections in cirrhotic patients as well as the identification of the microorganisms responsible for these infections, to be taken in consideration m prophylactic approaches, treatment and infection control program.

Forty cirrhotic patients (20 females and 20 males) were included in this study. Their ages ranged from 28 to71 years. HCV was present in 97.5% and HBV was present in only 2.5 %. While Bilharzia} infection

was present in 33cases (82.5%).

Specimens of urine, sputum, ascitic fluid and blood were taken from each case and were subjected to bacteriological culture and identification of the different organisms in cases of true infection by conventional tube method and automated method by Sensititre.

Thirty cases showed different types of infections and were taken as group I (infected cirrhotic patients group). This group of patients was further subdivided into 6 subgroups according to the site- of infection. Ten cirrhotic cases with negative culture (group II) were taken as a control group. This study showed the following:

A- Significant increase in the mean value of age of group I as comp