Delayed Diagnostic Paracentesis is Associated with Increased Preventable Healthcare Utilization in Disadvantaged Patient Populations with Advanced Liver Disease and Elevated INR.

Patients hospitalized with cirrhosis, ascites, and elevated INR often experience delays in timely diagnostic paracentesis. Identify whether delays in diagnostic paracentesis were associated with adverse outcomes in a hospital system serving a large disadvantaged population. Retrospective cohort analysis of patients admitted from January 2017 to October 2019 with cirrhosis, ascites, and INR ≥ 1.5 across a multi-hospital health system in central Texas. We examined demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with diagnostic paracentesis (1) ≤ 24 h; (2) > 24 h; (3) therapeutic only or no paracentesis. We used logistic regression to examine differences in clinical outcomes controlling for confounders. 479 patients met inclusion criteria. 30.0