A 63-year-old man with a long history of alcohol abuse presents with ascites. He is experiencing mild abdominal discomfort and nausea. Examination reveals tense ascites and generalized tenderness but no rigidity. A diagnostic paracentesis of the fluid is performed. Which of the following ascitic fluid results is most likely to suggest an uncomplicated ascites due to portal hypertension from cirrhosis?
Ascitic fluid in uncomplicated cirrhosis of the liver shows a specific gravity < 1.016. Protein is < 25 g/L, and the gross appearance is straw-colored. In spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, the fluid may be cloudy and the number of white cells (neutrophils) increased. In uncomplicated ascites, the difference between plasma albumin and ascitic fluid albumin is > 1.1 g/dL.
hemorrhage
protein >25 g/L
bilirubin level twice that of serum
serum to ascites albumin gradient > 1.1 g/dL
G.I.T.