ABSTRACT
Cirhotic patients with ascites presenting at Chandka Medical College Hospital, Larkana, from May 1997 to June 1998 were included in the study to see the frequency, bacterial spectrum, clinical and biochemical features of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis [SBP]. Ninety cases [63 males and 27 females] of liver cirrhosis with ascites were selected for analysis. SBP was found in 29 [32.2 percent] of cases. The breakup of SBP into its subtypes was, classic SBP found in 10 [34.5 percent] of cases, the bacterascites [BA] was found in 1 [3.4 percent] and that of culture negative neutrocyte ascites [CNNA] was found among 18 [62.1 percent] of cases. The frequency of organisms found in culture of ascitic fluid was; E. coLi was found in 7 [63.64 percent] cases, pneumococcus in 2 [18.18 percent] cases, Kiebsiella in 1 [9.09 percent] and Staphylococcus in 1 [9.09 percent]. Mortality rate in patients with SBP was 31.03 percent