The role of antibiotic prophylaxis in severe acute pancreatitis.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the impact of intravenous (IV) antibiotic prophylaxis on the incidence of pancreatic infection and the mortality rate in severe acute pancreatitis.


METHODS
Restropective review of a cohort of 180 patients with severe acute pancreatitis.


METHODS
A tertiary referral center in Sacramento, Calif.


METHODS
The use of IV antibiotic prophylaxis evolved during 3 periods from no antibiotics in 50 patients (1982-1989), to nonprotocol use in 55 patients (1990-1992), to a 4-week course of imipenem-cilastatin sodium (1993-1996) given to 75 patients having Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores greater than 6 and pancreatic necrosis (> 15% of the gland), peripancreatic necrosis, or peripancreatic collection.


METHODS
Pancreatic infection and mortality.


RESULTS
Without antibiotic prophylaxis, the incidence of pancreatic infection was 76% (38/50). Intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis reduced the infection rate of 45% (25/55) (P = .03). The imipenem-cilastatin protocol further reduced the infection rate to 27% (20/75) (P = .04). The mortality rates showed only a decreasing trend, from 16% (1982-1989) to 7% (1990-1992) to 5% (1993-1996) (P = .11). Patients with sterile severe acute pancreatitis had a mortality rate of 2% (2/97); whereas 17% (14/83) of patients with infection succumbed to the disease. Patients developing infection within the first 4 weeks from the onset of illness had mortality rates ranging from 19% to 40%, compared with 0% to 8% for those who became infected after 4 weeks. No patient with pancreatic infection developing after 4 weeks died with the imipenem-cilastatin protocol.


CONCLUSIONS
Intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis significantly reduced the infection rate in severe acute pancreatitis, with only a trend toward improved survival. A prospective, randomized, double-blind multicenter trial comparing the efficacy of different types and/or combinations of antibiotic prophylaxis in severe acute pancreatitis is indicated.
Ho
H S
HS
Department of Surgery, University of California, Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, USA.
Frey
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CF
D000208:Acute Disease; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D009181:Mycoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents