A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Effect of Prophylactic Sandostatin on ERCP-Induced Hyperamylasemia & Pancreatitis

Abstract

ERCP is a well established and reliable procedure in the diagnosis and treatment of pan-creatobiliary tract disorders. Post-ERCP complications are not rare. Among them, pancreatitis is the most common one. Sandostatin, a long-acting analogue of somatostatin, inhibits pancreatic secretion. It seems rational to use it to prevent the rise of amylase and the subsequent occurrence of pancreatitis following ERCP examination. A total of 90 patients who underwent ERCP were randomly allocated into 2 groups. The pancreatic duct was opacified in 59 cases. Among these, 29 patients had been given sandostatin 30 minutes before ERCP while 30 patients served as control. One patient in the prophylactic group developed pancreatitis following ERCP. The incidence of hyperamylasemia following ERCP was 18 (62.1%), 20 (68.9%), 17 (58.6%) in the prophylactic group and 17 (56.7%), 18 (60.0%), 18 (60.0%) in the control group at 60 minutes, 6 hours and 24 hours respectively after each procedure. There was no significant difference between the two groups. Comparison of median serum amylase and lipase levels at 60 minutes, 6 hours and 24 hours after ERCP showed no statistical significance between the prophylactic and control groups. In conclusion, prophylactic sandostatin does not reduce the incidence of pancreatitis and hyperamylasemia following ERCP.