[Diagnosis of spontaneous ascites infection in patients with cirrhosis: reagent strips].

Aim: To evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of dipstick testing (DT) for detecting spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), defined by an ascites neutrophil polymorphonuclear cell count > or = 250/mm3, in patients with cirrhosis.

Methods: The study includes all patients with cirrhosis and ascites admitted to our general hospital on the southern outskirts of the Paris metropolitan area (France) from June 2003 to May 2004 (n = 47:27 men and 20 women). Diagnostic abdominal paracentesis was performed on admission, and a Multistix SG (Bayer Pharma) reagent strip was immersed in one ascitic sample from each patient.

Long-term treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease patients with frequent symptomatic relapses using rabeprazole: on-demand treatment compared with continuous treatment.

Background: On-demand treatment may be an alternative in the long-term treatment of non-severe gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in patients with frequent symptomatic relapses.

Aim: To compare the efficacy of on-demand treatment with rabeprazole 10 mg versus continuous treatment in the long-term treatment of patients with frequent symptomatic relapses of mild to moderate gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

Methods: This randomized, open-label study enrolled patients diagnosed with non-erosive reflux disease or oesophagitis grade 1 or 2 (Savary-Miller classification) reporting frequent symptomatic relapses (requiring > or =2 courses of antisecretory therapy during the previous year), whose intensity is rated at least moderate (>2 on a 5-point Likert scale).