ANTIBIOTIC ASSOCIATED COLITIS IN CIRRHOTIC PATIENTS ON PROPHYLAXIS FOR PORTO-SYSTEMIC ENCEPHALOPATHY: ABDOMINAL ULTRASOUND FINDINGS

Purpose: evaluating Abdominal Ultrasound (US) as a tool for diagnosis and follow-up of antibiotic associated colitis (AAC) in cirrhotic patients. Methods and Materials: We retrospectively studied clinical and US records of 23 (18 males; age: 47–80 years) cirrhotic patients with diagnosis of AAC. All patients were on antibiotic prophylaxis for porto-systemic encephalopathy (PSE). All patients were taking Rifaximin (1200mg daily) from 5 to 22 days (mean 11 days). 11/23 patients, because of respiratory or urinary infections, had received systemic antibiotics within 2 weeks before onset of AAC. The diagnosis of AAC…