Ascites Care Falls Short for Some Patients

The quality of care for patients with ascites leaves “room for improvement,” according to a study of 774 VA patients with cirrhosis and ascites. Only one-third of patients received all care that was recommended. Care targeted at diagnosis was more likely to meet quality standards than was preventive care, despite extensive data that show preventive care improves outcomes in patients with cirrhosis, say researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas; Saint Louis University in Saint Louis, Missouri; Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System in Los Angeles, California; and UCLA in Los Angeles, California.