Publications

@article{Subhani2022-er,

title = {Diagnostic accuracy of serum ascites albumin gradient (SAAG) 

 in a contemporary unselected medical cohort},

author = {Mohsan Subhani and Abhishek Sheth and Naaventhan Palaniyappan and Peuish Sugathan and Emilie A Wilkes and Guruprasad P Aithal},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-11-01},

journal = {J. Int. Med. Res.},

volume = {50},

number = {11},

pages = {3000605221140310},

publisher = {SAGE Publications},

abstract = {OBJECTIVES: To describe the different aetiologies of ascites and 

 test the validity of serum ascites albumin gradient (SAAG) and 

 cytology in a contemporary unselected medical cohort. METHODS: 

 All adult patients admitted to Nottingham University Hospitals, 

 UK, between 1 May 2013 and 30 April 2018 with new-onset 

 radiologically-confirmed ascites were included. Data were 

 analysed to determine the distribution of different aetiologies 

 of ascites and the diagnostic accuracy of SAAG in portal 

 hypertension and cytology in malignancy as underlying causes of 

 ascites. RESULTS: Over 5 years, 286 patients presented with 

 new-onset ascites; 122 surgical cases were excluded. Most patients were men (n = 84, 51.2%) over 50 years of age (n = 142, 86.6%). Cirrhosis accounted for 54.9% (n = 90) of the cases of ascites followed by malignancy (n = 48, 29.3%) and cardiac failure (n = 10, 6.1%). SAAG $geq$11 g/L had a 

 sensitivity of 85.5% and specificity of 60.6% for diagnosing portal hypertension as a cause of ascites (diagnostic accuracy = 

 78.5%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 69.8-85.5; area under the curve (AUC) = 0.756, 95% CI: 0.652-0.860). Ascitic fluid 

 cytology was positive in 50% of malignant cases and 66% of 

 primary peritoneal carcinomatosis cases. CONCLUSION: The 

 underlying aetiology and the validity of available tests varied 

 substantially compared with previous reports.},

keywords = {ascites, cirrhosis, contemporary cohort, cytology, liver   disease, retrospective, serum ascites albumin gradient},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}