title: [Prevention of clogging of biliary stents by administration of levofloxacin and ursodeoxycholic acid].
abstract: One of the main advances in biliopancreatic endoscopic therapy has been the ability to palliate patients with biliary obstruction by placement of a stent during ERCP, but this is often complicated by clogging of the stent with subsequent jaundice and/or cholangitis. Stent clogging may be caused by microbiological adhesion and biliary stasis. Therefore, the use of antibiotics and choleretic agents such as levofloxacin and ursodeoxycholic acid has been investigated to see whether they prolong stent patency. Ninety patients with strictures of the biliary tract and untreatable macrolithiasis with endoscopically inserted stents were randomized into two groups: 49 subjects in group 1 (levofloxacin + ursodeoxycholic acid) and 41 in group 2 (ursodeoxycholic acid alone). In the patients in group 1 "stent patency in situ" was 50% longer than in group 2, with a lower incidence of cholangitis and hospital admittance. No adverse pharmacological effects were registered. Treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid and levofloxacin to prevent clogging of biliary stents is recommended as routine practice on the basis of our brief experience. Further trials are needed with rigorous methodology and adequate statistical power, because the perfect biliary stent (inexpensive, easy to insert, and with prolonged patency) does not exist. Prophylactic stent replacement is probably the most prudent strategy to avoid cholangitis, but the optimal time interval is unknown.
authors.affiliation: Sezione di Chirurgia Generale ad Indirizzo Toracico, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Policlinico Paolo Giaccone.
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sciumè
authors.forename: Girolamo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Geraci
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pisello
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Facella
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li Volsi
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Modica
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D002756:Cholagogues and Choleretics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D002761:Cholangitis / Q000517:prevention & control; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D042882:Gallstones / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007565:Jaundice / Q000517:prevention & control; D064704:Levofloxacin; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010166:Palliative Care; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014580:Ursodeoxycholic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D002756:Cholagogues and Choleretics; D064704:Levofloxacin; D014580:Ursodeoxycholic Acid; D015242:Ofloxacin