Serum Ascites Albumin Gradient (SAAG)
Defines presence of portal hypertension in patients with ascites.
Advice
The SAAG seems reliable and useful for determining portal hypertension. It is not as reliable for making pathologic diagnoses, and its value in settings outside of referral populations with liver failure is unknown. Moreover, prospective data are dominated by one SAAG validation study, suggesting future investigations have the potential to shed further light.
Management
We are unaware of validated management algorithms using the SAAG.
Critical Actions
The SAAG requires temporally similar blood and ascites fluid examinations.