title: Surgical management and complex treatment of infected pancreatic necrosis: 18-year experience at a single center.
abstract: Infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN), the most severe form of acute pancreatitis, is responsible for most cases of pancreatitis-related morbidity and mortality. Since 1986, 220 patients with IPN have been treated. The surgical treatment was performed on average 18.5 days (range, 8-25 days) after the onset of acute pancreatitis and consisted of wide-ranging necrosectomy, combined with widespread drainage and continuous lavage. In 108 of the 220 cases, some other surgical intervention (distal pancreatic resection, splenectomy, total pancreatectomy, cholecystectomy, colon resection, etc.) was also performed. Following surgery, the supportive therapy consisted of immunonutrition (glutamine and arginine supplementation) and modification of cytokine production with pentoxifylline and dexamethasone. Continuous lavage was applied for an average of 44.5 days (range, 21-95 days), with an average of 9.5 L (range, 5-20 L) of saline per day. The bacteriologic findings revealed mainly enteral bacteria, but Candida infection was also frequently detected (21%). Forty-eight patients (22%) had to undergo reoperation. The overall hospital mortality was 7.7% (17 patients died). In our experience, IPN responds well to adequate surgical treatment, continuous, longstanding widespread drainage and lavage, together with supportive therapy consisting of immunonutrition and modification of cytokine production, combined with adequate antibiotic and antifungal medication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Institute of Microbiology. Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, PO Box 427, Szeged 6701, Hungary. fg@surg.szote.u-szeged.hu
authors.forename: Gyula
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Farkas
authors.forename: János
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Márton
authors.forename: Yvette
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mándi
authors.forename: László
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leindler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001120:Arginine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000601:surgery*; D002423:Cause of Death; D002763:Cholecystectomy; D003082:Colectomy; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005973:Glutamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018529:Nutritional Support; D010180:Pancreatectomy; D019283:Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013156:Splenectomy; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D005973:Glutamine; D003907:Dexamethasone; D001120:Arginine; D010431:Pentoxifylline