| Paracentesis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| ICD-10-PCS | Illustration depicting Paracentesis |
| ICD-9-CM | 54.91 |
| MeSH | D019152 |
Paracentesis (from Greek κεντάω, "to pierce") is a form of body fluid sampling procedure, generally referring to peritoneocentesis (also called laparocentesis or abdominal paracentesis) in which the peritoneal cavity is punctured by a needle to sample peritoneal fluid.[1][2]
The procedure is used to remove fluid from the peritoneal cavity, particularly if this cannot be achieved with medication. The most common indication is ascites that has developed in people with cirrhosis.
- ^ Paracentesis at eMedicine
- ^ Farlex dictionary > paracentesis, citing:
- Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Copyright 2008
- The American Heritage Medical Dictionary Copyright 2007
- McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. Copyright 2002