A cirrhotic patient with ascites presents confused—but no fever or abdominal pain. Should you just treat hepatic encephalopathy, or are you missing spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP)? In this episode of EM Board Bombs, we review when diagnostic paracentesis is indicated, why ammonia levels are often misleading, the diagnosis and evidence-based management of SBP in the ED.

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Cite this podcast as: Briggs, Blake; Husain, Iltifat. 290. Should every ED cirrhosis patient get a paracentesis? Accessed [date].

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