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( Paracentesis)
Paracentesis is a medical procedure involving needle drainage of fluid from a body cavity, most commonly the abdomen. It is used for a number of reasons A related procedure is thoracocentesis, which is needle drainage of the chest cavity. The procedure is often done in a doctor's office or an out-patient clinic. In an expert's hands, it is very safe, although there is a very small risk of introducing an infection, causing excessive bleeding or perforating a loop of bowel. During the procedure, patients are asked to lie down and expose their abdomen. After cleaning the side of the abdomen with an antiseptic solution, physicians will numb a small area of skin and then insert a fairly large-bore needle (along with a plastic sheath) 2 to 5 cm to reach the peritoneal (ascitic) fluid. The needle is then removed, leaving the plastic sheath behind to allow drainage of the fluid. The fluid can be drained by gravity or by connection to a vacuum bottle. Up to 11 litres of fluid may be drained during the procedure. If fluid drainage is more than 5 litres, patients may receive intravenous serum albumin (25% albumin, 8g/L) to prevent hypotension (low blood pressure).
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