Abdominal paracentesis is a common procedure performed for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in patients with chronic liver disease and ascites. Despite the frequency with which the procedure is undertaken, there are limited guidelines for how It should be completed.

This project aims to develop evidence-based guideline for abdominal paracentesis. An initial survey will determine the extent of variation in performance of the procedure across Australia. Multiple systematic and other reviews will be performed to determine the evidence for each aspect of the procedure with a view to conducting a Delphi process with expert panellists to construct a consensus guideline for abdominal paracentesis.