Persistent spontaneous bacterial peritonitis: a common complication in patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and a high score in the model for end-stage liver disease.

Objectives: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is associated with a high mortality rate. After antibiotic therapy, improvement in fluid polymorphonuclear (PMN) cell count is expected within 2 days. However, our institution recognized cases unresponsive to standard treatment.

Evaluation of early null response to pegylated interferon and ribavirin as a predictor of therapeutic nonresponse in patients undergoing treatment for chronic hepatitis C.

Objectives: Early viral kinetics accurately predicts sustained virological response (SVR) in genotype 1 patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) undergoing therapy with pegylated interferon (PEG) and ribavirin (RBV). No baseline factor has a stronger predictive role. Early identification of patients unlikely to respond is equally important, allowing early treatment modification or discontinuation.