Relationship between post-ERCP pancreatitis and the change of serum amylase level after the procedure

AIM: To clarify the relationship between the change of serum amylase level and post-ERCP pancreatitis. METHODS: Between January 1999 and December 2002, 1291 ERCP-related procedures were performed. Serum amylase concentrations were measured before the procedure and 3, 6, and 24 h afterward. The frequency and severity of post-ERCP pancreatitis and the relationship between these phenomena and the change in amylase level were estimated. RESULTS: Post-ERCP pancreatitis occurred in 47 patients (3.6%). Pancreatitis occurred in 1% of patients with normal amylase levels 3 h after ERCP, and in 1%, 5%, 20%, 31% and 39% of patients with amylase levels elevated 1-2 times, 2-3 times, 3-5 times, 5-10 times and over 10 times the upper normal limit at 3 h after ERCP, respectively (level < 2 times vs ≥ 2 times, P < 0.001). Of the 143 patients with levels higher than the normal limit at 3 h after ERCP followed by elevation at 6 h, pancreatitis occurred in 26%. In contrast, pancreatitis occurred in 9% of 45 patients with a level higher than two times the normal limit at 3 h after ERCP followed by a decrease at 6 h (26% vs 9%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Post-ERCP pancreatitis is frequently associated with an increase in serum amylase level greater than twice the normal limit at 3 h after ERCP with an elevation at 6 h. A decrease in amylase level at 6 h after ERCP suggests the unlikelihood of development of post-ERCP pancreatitis.

Experimental study of therapeutic efficacy of Baicalin in rats with severe acute pancreatitis

AIM： To observe the therapeutic efficacy of Baicalin in rats with severe acute pancreatitis （SAP） and explore its therapeutic mechanisms. METHODS： The SAP rat models were randomly divided into the model control group, Baicalin treatment group, octreotide treatment group and sham operation group. All groups were randomly subdivided into 3 h, 6 h and 12 h groups with 15 rats in each group. The survival, ascites volume and pathological changes of pancreas in all rats were observed at different time points after operation. The plasma amylase content and serum TNF-α, IL-6, malonaldehyde （MDA） and PLA2 contents were also determined. RESULTS： The survival was not obviously different between the treated groups, and was significantly higher in treated groups at 12 h compared to the model control group （P 〈 0.05, 15 vs 10）. The ascites/body weight ratio at 3 h and 6 h was significantly lower in Baicalin treatment group compared to the model control group and octreotide treatment group （P 〈 0.05, 1.00 vs 2.02 and 1.43 and P 〈 0.001, 2.29 （1.21） vs 2.70 （0.80） and 2.08 （2.21）, respectively）. The contents of amylase, TNF-α, IL-6, MDA and PLA2 were significantly lower in the treated groups than in the model control group （P 〈 0.05, 4342 vs 5303, 5058 vs 6272 in amylase, P 〈 0.01, 21.90 vs 36.30, 23.80 vs 39.70, 36 vs 54.35 in MDA and 56.25 vs 76.10 in PIA2, or P 〈 0.001, 65.10 and 47.60 vs 92.15 in TNF-α, 3.03 vs 5.44, 2.88 vs 6.82, 2.83 vs 5.36 in IL-6, respectively）. The pathological scores of pancreas in the treated groups were significantly lower than that in the model control group （P 〈 0.05, 9.00 vs 10.05, 6.00 vs 9.00, 8.00 vs 10.05）, but no marked difference was found between the treated groups. CONCLUSION： The Baicalin injection has significant therapeutic effects on SAP rats, its effects are similar to those of octreotide. The Baicalin injection is also cheap and has a big application range, quite hopefully to be used in clinical treatment of SAP.

Suppository naproxen reduces incidence and severity of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis: Randomized controlled trial

AIM: To determine the efficacy of rectally administered naproxen for the prevention of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis (PEP).METHODS: This double-blind randomized control trial conducted from January 2013 to April 2014 at the Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases Research Center in Rasht, Iran. A total of 324 patients were selected from candidates for diagnostic or therapeutic ERCP by using the simple sampling method. Patients received a single dose of Naproxen (500 mg; n = 162) or a placebo (n = 162) per rectum immediately before ERCP. The overall incidence of PEP, incidence of mild to severe PEP, serum amylase levels and adverse effects were measured. The primary outcome measure was the development of pancreatitis onset of pain in the upper abdomen and elevation of the serum amylase level to &#x0003e; 3 &#x000d7; the upper normal limit (60-100 IU/L) within 24 h after ERCP. The severity of PEP was classified according to the duration of therapeutic intervention for PEP: mild, 2-3 d; moderate 4-10 d; and severe, &#x0003e; 10 d and/or necessitated surgical or intensive treatment, or contributed to death.RESULTS: PEP occurred in 12% (40/324) of participants, and was significantly more frequent in the placebo group compared to the naproxen group (P &#x0003c; 0.01). Of the participants, 25.9% (84/324) developed hyperamylasemia within 2 h of procedure completion, among whom only 35 cases belonged to the naproxen group (P &#x0003c; 0.01). The incidence of PEP was significantly higher in female sex, in patients receiving pancreatic duct injection, more than 3 times pancreatic duct cannulations, and ERCP duration more than 40 min (Ps &#x0003c; 0.01). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups regarding the procedures or factors that might increase the risk of PEP, sphincterotomy, precut requirement, biliary duct injection and number of pancreatic duct cannulations. In the subgroup of patients with pancreatic duct injection, the rate of pancreatitis in the naproxen group was significantly lower than that in the placebo (6 patients vs 23 patients, P &#x0003c; 0.01, RRR = 12%, AR = 0.3, 95%CI: 0.2-0.6). Naproxen reduced the PEP in patients with &#x02265; 3 pancreatic cannulations (P &#x0003c; 0.01, RRR = 25%, AR = 0.1, 95%CI: 0.1-0.4) and an ERCP duration &#x0003e; 40 min (P &#x0003c; 0.01, RRR = 20%, AR = 0.9, 95%CI: 0.4-1.2).CONCLUSION: Single dose of suppository naproxen administered immediately before ERCP reduces the incidence of PEP.

Perforated appendicitis masquerading as acute pancreatitis in a morbidly obese patient

Diagnosis and treatment of common conditions in morbidly obese patients still pose a challenge to physicians and surgeons.Sometimes too much reliance is put on investigations that can lead to a misdiagnosis.This case demonstrates an obese woman admitted under the medical team with a presumed diagnosis of pneumonia, who was later found to have an acute abdomen and raised amylase,which led to an assumed diagnosis of pancreatitis.She died within 24 h of admission and post mortem confirmed the cause of death as systemic sepsis due to perforated appendicitis,with no evidence of pancreatitis.Significantly elevated serum amylase level may occur in non-pancreatitic acute abdomen.