Background: Abdominal paracentesis is a commonly performed procedure, and with appropriate training, hospitalists can deliver similar outcomes when compared to interventional radiologists.
Study design: Position statement.
Setting: The Society of Hospital Medicine Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Task Force developed these guidelines after reviewing available literature and voted on the appropriateness and consensus of a recommendation.
Synopsis: A total of 794 articles were screened, and 91 articles were included and incorporated into the recommendations. The 12 recommendations fall into three categories (clinical outcomes, technique, and training), and all 12 recommendations achieved consensus as strong recommendations.
To improve clinical outcomes, the authors recommended ultrasound guidance in performing paracentesis to reduce the risk of serious complications, to avoid attempting paracentesis with insufficient fluid, and to improve overall procedure success.
The authors advocated for several technique recommendations, including using the ultrasound to assess volume and location of intraperitoneal fluid, to identify the needle insertion site and confirm in multiple planes, to use color flow Doppler to identify abdominal wall vessels, to mark the insertion site immediately prior to the procedure, and to consider real-time ultrasound guidance.
When health care professionals are learning ultrasound-guided paracentesis, the authors recommended use of dedicated training sessions with simulation if available and that competency should be demonstrated before independently attempting the procedure.
Bottom line: These recommendations from SHM POCUS Task Force provides consensus guidelines on the use of ultrasound guidance when performing or learning abdominal paracentesis.
Citation: Cho J et al. Recommendations on the use of ultrasound guidance for adult abdominal paracentesis: A position statement of the Society of Hospital Medicine. 2019 Jan 2. doi: 10.12788/jhm.3095.
Dr. Schmit is an associate professor of medicine in the division of general and hospital medicine at UT Health San Antonio and a hospitalist at South Texas Veterans Health Care System, also in San Antonio.