Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, or SBP, is a serious infection of ascitic fluid that occurs in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. In this episode, we review the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, treatment, albumin use, and prophylaxis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Topics covered include: • What spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is • Why SBP occurs in cirrhosis and ascites • Bacterial translocation and ascitic fluid infection • Clinical presentation and symptoms • When to perform diagnostic paracentesis • Ascitic fluid cell count and PMN threshold • Ascitic fluid culture and diagnostic testing • Differentiating SBP from secondary bacterial peritonitis • Initial antibiotic treatment • Cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, and antibiotic selection • Albumin therapy and prevention of kidney injury • Repeat paracentesis and treatment response • Primary and secondary SBP prophylaxis • Norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole • Practical management considerations in cirrhosis Watch the full video on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXhdupsucHM 📚 Join the WhiteBoard Medicine Patreon Community https://www.patreon.com/WhiteBoardMedicine Join a growing emergency medicine, critical care, and resuscitation education community built around high-yield clinical learning. Patreon members get access to: • Comprehensive Study Guides • Bedside One-Pagers • Clinical Reviews • Mini-Courses • Practice Questions • Ad-Free Videos • Structured Topic Collections 🌐 WhiteBoard Medicine Website Explore our growing library of critical care and emergency medicine content: https://www.whiteboardmedicine.com ⚠️ Educational Disclaimer: This content is intended for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for clinical judgment, institutional protocols, specialist consultation, or individualized patient care. Full disclaimer: https://whiteboardmedicine.com/disclaimer

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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