The Use of Plasma Expanders in Preventing Paracentesis-Induced Circulatory Dysfunction: A Brief Review

Ascites is a common complication of liver cirrhosis. Annually, 10 % of cirrhotic patients with ascites will develop refractory ascites, which requires large-volume paracentesis (LVP) as the first-line therapeutic procedure. LVP is considered as a safe method; however, it may induce an impairment of circulatory function termed paracentesis-induced circulatory dysfunction (PICD). Plasma volume expanders have been shown to be effective in the prevention of PICD. In this review, we discuss the use of plasma expander in preventing PICD.