Platelet Count- A Non Invasive Predictor of Portal Hypertension in Patients With Ascites

BACKGROUND is the accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity and the most common cause of ascites is portal hypertension. The causes of portal hypertension are cirrhosis (75%), malignancies (10%), cardiac failure (5%) and infections (10%). So, the of cause of ascites is needed for treatment. It will be more economical to screen the patients who are at high risk of varices and also lower the burden on endoscopic units.5 of noninvasive predictors of OV and PHG will allow gastrointestinal tract (GIT) endoscopy to be carried out only in selected group of patients thus avoid unnecessary and at the same time not to miss patients at risk of bleeding.6 Majority of the studies show thrombocytopenia as most useful predictor for cirrhosis in the background of viral aetiology. Hypersplenism and decreased thrombopoietin are reasons for thrombocytopenia in cirrhosis. AND METHODS was conducted in the inpatients who were admitted to the Department of General Medicine, R.L. Jalappa Hospital attached Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, Kolar In total, 50 patients with liver cirrhosis were selected. Patients were recruited based history such as exposure to alcohol and chronic hepatitis B and C infections), past medical records, previous admissions due ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, biochemical abnormalities in the presence of ultrasonography findings, or liver biopsy where . count was lower in patients with haematemesis and oesophageal varices which was statistically significant (P<0.05). platelet count can be one of the non-invasive investigations for the prediction of portal hypertension with ascites. count was significantly low in the patients with signs of portal hypertension and oesophageal varices. Hence Platelet can be used at bedside to choose the best therapeutic options and avoid useless expensive procedures in patients with expected poor survival outcome.