Abdominal Infections

Antibiotics are administered when fluid examination and tests for ascites indicate infection. For a first episode, the antibiotic cefotaxime is typically administered intravenously, requiring hospitalization. Treatment usually lasts 10 days but research indicates that five days may be sufficient for certain patients. Some research indicates that the oral antibiotic ofloxacin may be as effective and is without complications, allowing patients to be treated at home.

Preventing Infections in Advanced Cirrhosis

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In advanced cirrhosis, the risk for serious abdominal infection is high and the antibiotic norfloxacin is often prescribed preventively against specific organisms that infect the abdominal cavity. One study found that preventive antibiotics were very cost effective in high-risk patients. Another study reported, however, that patients who took norfloxacin became susceptible to Staphylococcal infections, which are not ordinarily a problem in cirrhosis, and their survival rates were similar to patients who did not take the antibiotic. Long-term treatments with norfloxacin or similar antibiotics may increase the risk for fungal infections after liver transplantation. More research is needed.