Bedside scoring system to predict the risk of developing pancreatitis following ERCP.
OBJECTIVE
Pancreatitis is the most common significant complication of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). The aim of the present study was to develop a simple scoring system that clinicians can use to predict the risk of post-ERCP pancreatitis.


METHODS
We analyzed a prospectively assembled database of 1835 ERCP procedures at a single referral hospital. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for pancreatitis and determine their relative contributions. From these results, a scoring system was constructed. The performance of the scoring system was assessed on the entire procedure database and in selected subgroups.


RESULTS
Multivariate analysis yielded four risk factors: pain during the procedure, cannulation of the pancreatic duct (PD), previous post-ERCP pancreatitis, and number of cannulation attempts. Based on the regression model, the scoring system was: 4 points for pain, 3 points for PD cannulation, 2 points for a history of post-ERCP pancreatitis, and 1 - 4 points depending on the number of cannulation attempts. A total score of 1 - 4 points was associated with a low risk of pancreatitis (< 2 %), while a score of 5 - 8 points had an intermediate risk (7 %), and a score of 9 or above had a high risk (28 %).


CONCLUSIONS
This simple scoring system may enable clinicians to stratify patients into low-risk, medium-risk, and high-risk groups for the development of post-ERCP pancreatitis. In addition, when patients with suspected sphincter of Oddi dysfunction and patients who underwent minor papilla cannulation were analyzed separately, the scoring system was able to predict accurately the pancreatitis risk of these patients as well.
Friedland
S
S
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA.
Soetikno
R M
RM
Vandervoort
J
J
Montes
H
H
Tham
T
T
Carr-Locke
D L
DL
D000328:Adult; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000209:etiology*; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D012307:Risk Factors