Table 2.

Patients with ascites associated with cirrhosis

Study details	Patient demographics	Device and usage details	Complications	Survival and symptom management
Kathpalia et al5 • 2015 • Retrospective • Single center	• 200 patients (128 male) • Mean age 57 years • Refractory cirrhotic ascites due to alcohol, hepatitis C, combination of the two, “other”	• Catheter type not specified	• 19 patients developed bacterial peritonitis within 72 hours of catheter placement	• Significant increase in mortality in patients who developed peritonitis within first 72 hours
Reinglas et al18 • 2016 • Prospective • Single center	• 33 patients (19 male) • Mean age 62 years • Refractory cirrhotic ascites due to alcohol (12), hepatitis C (7), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (7), alcohol and hepatitis C (4), cardiogenic (3)	• PleurX catheter (tunneled) • Mean 8.53 L initial drainage • Mean catheter in situ period 117.5 days	• 11 catheter-related spontaneous bacterial peritonitis • 6 non–catheter-related spontaneous bacterial peritonitis • 7 leakage from catheter site • 3 catheter occlusions • 1 hematoma	• 9 patients died during follow-up period • 90% catheter patency rate • Infection risk increased with catheters in place for >3 months
Solbach et al6 • 2017 • Prospective • Single center	• 24 patients (16 male) • Mean age 57 years • Refractory cirrhotic ascites due to alcohol (10), viral (6), other (8)	• PleurX catheter (tunneled) • Mean 1909 mL drainage daily • Mean catheter in situ period 83.2 days	• 3 catheter occlusions • 2 bacterial peritonitis • 1 intraabdominal pain	• 20 patients had catheters in place until death, receiving transplant, or at end of follow-up • Mean survival 93 days for patients not receiving liver transplant