title: Early definitive surgery in the management of severe acute pancreatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the role of early peritoneal lavage and drainage in the management of severe acute pancreatitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Early peritoneal lavage and drainage was defined as that lavage and drainage should be done in the peritoneal cavity without interference of the pancreas within 72 hours after onset of acute pancreatitis. Biomedical literature database (Medline) from 1981 through 2003 was retrieved and papers about this treatment were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine papers retrieved included 179 patients with severe acute pancreatitis. In 108 patients undergoing closed peritoneal lavage and drainage, 7 died, in 15 patients having laparoscopic procedure, 1 died, and in 56 patients having open procedure 2 died. The total survival rate was 94.4%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even if extensive pancreatic necrosis occurs, early peritoneal lavage and drainage is feasible to keep the inflammatory pancreas intact and drain peri-pancreatic region in an attempt to improve the survival rate.
authors: Department of Surgery, Taizhou First People's Hospital, Taizhou 318020, China. zhangweizhong11@hotmail.com
authors: Wei-Zhong
authors: WZ
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010186:Pancreatic Function Tests; D019283:Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D010533:Peritoneal Lavage / Q000379:methods; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome