Author(s)

Tian Tian ¹, Xiaoni Kou ²

Affiliation(s)

¹ Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xixian Avenue, Xixian New District, Shaanxi Province, 712000, China
² Shaanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital, No. 2 Weiyang West Road, Qindu District, Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, 712000, China

Corresponding Author

Xiaoni Kou

ABSTRACT

Ascites in liver cirrhosis is a common and severe complication that occurs during the decompensated stage of the disease. Globally, its incidence is on the rise year by year. As a significant marker of decompensated liver cirrhosis, ascites poses a challenging problem in clinical treatment. With the progression of the disease, ascites not only causes abdominal distension and unbearable pain, severely affecting the quality of life, but also leads to a series of life-threatening complications, such as spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and hepatorenal syndrome, posing a great threat to the patients' health and making the treatment of ascites in liver cirrhosis extremely urgent. The "offensive and defensive" strategies play a crucial role in the treatment of ascites in liver cirrhosis. "Offense" refers to the adoption of aggressive measures for stubborn conditions that do not respond well to conservative treatment, such as rapidly relieving abdominal pressure through paracentesis, improving portal hypertension via transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS), and fundamentally solving liver lesions through liver transplantation. Meanwhile, traditional Chinese medicine's syndrome differentiation and external treatment methods also provide diverse pathways to tackle the problem, actively combating the disease and enhancing patients' chances of survival. "Defense" focuses on basic support and gentle regulation, strictly limiting sodium and water intake, ensuring bed rest to reduce the liver burden, and using diuretics and albumin infusion to maintain the body's fluid balance, safeguarding the basic physiological functions of the body and laying a solid foundation for subsequent treatment. This thesis centers on a thorough analysis of the application of the "offensive and defensive" strategies throughout the treatment process of ascites in liver cirrhosis. On one hand, it elaborates on the mechanisms of ascites formation and diagnostic key points to clarify the nature of the disease. On the other hand, it systematically dissects various measures of "offense" and "defense," including specific surgical and pharmacological methods.

KEYWORDS

Ascites in liver cirrhosis, Treatment strategies, "Offense and defense", Comprehensive treatment

CITE THIS PAPER

Tian Tian, Xiaoni Kou. Comprehensive Analysis of the "Offense and Defense" Strategy in the Management of Ascites in Cirrhotic Patients. MEDS Clinical Medicine (2025) Vol. 6: 27-36. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/medsc.2025.060105.

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