skip to main content

Acute Pancreatitis — UKMLA MCQ

Instant feedback + full explanation. One question, done properly.

HardGastroenterologyAcute PancreatitisUKMLAMRCGP AKTMRCP Part 1

A 70-kg patient with cirrhosis and ascites has abdominal pain, ascitic neutrophils 620 cells/mm³ and a rising serum creatinine. Antibiotics for spontaneous bacterial peritonitis are starting. Which albumin regimen is recommended?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C — Give 105 g within 6 hours, then 70 g on day 3

The best answer is “Give 105 g within 6 hours, then 70 g on day 3”. BSG and BASL recommend albumin for SBP when creatinine is increased or rising: 1.5 g/kg within 6 hours and 1 g/kg on day 3. At 70 kg, those doses are 105 g and 70 g. This differs from post-paracentesis replacement, which uses 8 g per litre removed after more than 5 litres. The patient also requires prompt antibiotics and monitoring because excessive albumin can cause fluid overload.

Reference: BSG and BASL guideline on the management of ascites in cirrhosis: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7788190/