A meta-analysis of peritoneal lavage for acute pancreatitis.
OBJECTIVE
It has been postulated that continuous irrigation of the peritoneal cavity with crystalloid solutions in patients with acute pancreatitis can improve mortality and morbidity. The aim of the study is to perform a meta-analysis of available randomized prospective clinical trials, to evaluate whether lavage influences mortality and morbidity in patients with acute pancreatitis.


METHODS
We performed a computer search of Medline for all available literature on the use of lavage in patients with acute pancreatitis. A meta-analysis was conducted on eight randomized, prospective, clinical trials (a total of 333 patients) evaluating continuous peritoneal lavage in patients with acute pancreatitis. The end-points were mortality and morbidity (i.e. pancreatic necrosis, peripancreatic fluid collections, intra-abdominal abscess formation, septicemia, organ system failure).


RESULTS
Continuous lavage did not improve either mortality (weighted mean difference 1.6%, 95% CI -6.7% to 9.9%, not significant (n.s.)) or morbidity (weighted mean difference 6.2%, 95% CI -3.2% to 15.6%, n.s.) when compared with control patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of continuous peritoneal lavage in patients with acute pancreatitis has not been found to be associated with any significant improvement in mortality or morbidity.
Platell
C
C
Department of Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Western Australia, Australia.
Cooper
D
D
Hall
J C
JC
D000208:Acute Disease; D006801:Humans; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000628:therapy*; D010533:Peritoneal Lavage; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic