The most urgent question for those who were diagnosed with ascites, how many live patients? It is rather difficult to give an exact prognosis for ascites. Much depends on what became the cause of its development, how the pathology proceeds: slowly or swiftly. Another factor that affects the positive prognosis is the effectiveness of the therapy, the presence of concomitant pathologies. Only taking into account all these factors in total, one can draw certain conclusions, and accurately answer the question of how many patients live with ascites.
By itself, dropsy of the abdomen is rarely the cause of death of the patient. Diseases of ascites are dangerous. The accumulation of fluid inside the abdominal wall increases pressure, it forms a squeezing of organs located in this anatomical part of the body, this disrupts their work, an imbalance of vital systems occurs, which can be extremely difficult to eliminate. The situation is aggravated by a violation of the water-electrolyte balance, which significantly worsens the patient's condition.
Physicians pay attention to the most common complications of ascites. This is:
- Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.
- Hydrothorax and respiratory failure.
- Intestinal obstruction.
- Umbilical hernia.
- Hepatorenal syndrome.
Each complication in itself can cause death. In what cases is the prognosis of ascites discomforting? The answer to this question lies in the dynamics of the development of the underlying disease that provoked dropsy of the abdomen.
Lifespan in Ascites
Today, life expectancy in ascites is determined by:
- The functional state of the liver.
- Functional state of the kidneys.
- Functional state of the cardiovascular system.
- The effectiveness and adequacy of the treatment.
In 75% of cases, ascites of the abdominal cavity develops due to cirrhosis of the liver, the prognosis in this case depends on the form of the underlying disease. If the patient shows compensated cirrhosis of the liver, then with proper treatment, the consequences of ascites of the abdominal cavity can be minimized, the basic functions of the liver can be maintained, which means that the patient can rely on the most favorable predictions. And how much does the patient live when decompensated cirrhosis is diagnosed? Since with this form of the disease the main functions of the liver are violated and cause irreversible processes, without radical treatment( liver transplantation), only 20% of 100% live about five years, the rest die much earlier. In this case, only the transplantation of a new organ helps to prevent death.
The minimum life expectancy for ascites is also predicted when hydrocephalus becomes a consequence of renal failure. How many people live with such diagnoses? Without hemodialysis, death occurs within a few weeks. Danger of ascites in combination with heart failure. In the detection of the third and fourth class of heart failure within the first two years, death occurs in 30% of cases. The remaining 60% of patients die within the next five years. And only 10% can expect a favorable prognosis for the described combination of two pathologies. And this is subject to early diagnosis, timely treatment with the use of the newest methods of dropsy therapy, using the new generation equipment.
In all the cases listed above, it is not the ascites itself which are dangerous, but the complications that it causes. So, for example, when there is a spontaneous bacterial ascites, only every second patient survives. Risk of reappearance of pathologies in the first six months of survivors occurs in 43%.During the first year in 70%, during the first two years in 75%.
And this, doctors believe, the most favorable predictions of how many people live after repeated bacterial ascites, which arose in the third year after successful treatment, is still unknown.
In those diagnosed with refractory ascites, death occurs, in about half of the patients during the first year of the disease. There are special groups of risk, in which the consequences of ascites of the abdominal cavity are the most unfavorable. They include:
- People over 60 years of age.
- Patients with low blood pressure.
- Those who are diagnosed with low serum albumin at the time of examination.
- Those who have a high content of norepinephrine in the blood.
- Patients with diabetes mellitus.
- Patients with malignant liver tumors.
Many people want to know today how many live those patients who diagnosed the first stage of ascites? Today, physicians have learned to compensate for the patient's condition by properly selected diuretics and drugs that fill the lack of potassium and magnesium in the body. With the application of adequate treatment, with strict adherence to the therapeutic diet and carrying out a laparocentesis, you can make a favorable prognosis for 10 years. But this variant of the development of the disease is extremely rare. And yet, there are such forms of dropsy that do not lend itself to drug treatment at all. In this case, any consequences of ascites of the abdominal cavity become irreversible, death in patients occurs within the first year.
And yet do not despair. Modern medicine does not stand still, new equipment allows to drain fluid and minimize the risks of pathology development. It is important to try to increase life expectancy by preventing complications of ascites, gradually eliminating the already existing consequences of dropsy of the abdominal cavity. Knowing how dangerous ascites is, each of us gets the right to act adequately in the treatment of primary diseases.
And one more important point. The positive prognosis and life expectancy at dropsy of belly in many respects depends on qualification of the doctor leading the patient. Therapy should focus on eliminating the cause of dropsy, restoring the primary functions of the internal organs is the main condition to make the fatal complication curable.