title: Persisting ratio of total amylase output in drain fluid can predict postoperative clinical pancreatic fistula.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A consistent predictor for pancreatic fistula (PF) development in the early period after pancreatic resection is still lacking.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 54 consecutive patients undergoing pancreatic resection were enrolled between June 2007 and April 2010. Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and distal pancreatectomy (DP) were performed in 38 and 16 patients, respectively. For the purpose of finding an early predictor for PF development, we investigated drain amylase levels (d-Amy, IU/mL), drain output volume (d-Vol, mL/day) and drain amylase output (Amy-V, IU/day) on postoperative days (POD) 1 and 3. Amy-V was calculated as the product of d-Amy and d-Vol, and was expressed as the sum of values obtained from all drains. In addition, the ratio of d-Amy or Amy-V on POD3 to that on POD1 was calculated as the persisting ratio in each patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall incidence of clinical PF (International Study Group on Pancreatic Fistula Grade B and C) was 16.7%, occurring in 13.1% after PD and 25% after DP. All PF occurred in cases with a remnant pancreas of soft texture. There was no significant difference in d-Amy, d-Vol, or Amy-V on POD1 and POD3 between patients with and without clinical PF. The persisting ratio of Amy-V was significantly lower in patients without clinical PF compared to those with clinical PF (p = 0.029). Furthermore, the persisting ratio of Amy-V was significantly lower in patients with Grade A PF compared to those with Grade B PF (p = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The persisting ratio of drain amylase output is a new significant predictive factor for clinical PF development.
authors: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1, Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa, 761-0793, Japan. kokano@kms.ac.jp
authors: Keiichi
authors: K
authors: Okano
authors: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1, Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa, 761-0793, Japan.
authors: Keitaro
authors: K
authors: Kakinoki
authors: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1, Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa, 761-0793, Japan.
authors: Hironobu
authors: H
authors: Suto
authors: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1, Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa, 761-0793, Japan.
authors: Minoru
authors: M
authors: Oshima
authors: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1, Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa, 761-0793, Japan.
authors: Hirotaka
authors: H
authors: Kashiwagi
authors: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1, Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa, 761-0793, Japan.
authors: Naoki
authors: N
authors: Yamamoto
authors: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1, Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa, 761-0793, Japan.
authors: Shintaro
authors: S
authors: Akamoto
authors: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1, Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa, 761-0793, Japan.
authors: Masao
authors: M
authors: Fujiwara
authors: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1, Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa, 761-0793, Japan.
authors: Takehiro
authors: T
authors: Takama
authors: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1, Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa, 761-0793, Japan.
authors: Hisashi
authors: H
authors: Usuki
authors: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1, Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa, 761-0793, Japan.
authors: Masanobu
authors: M
authors: Hagiike
authors: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1, Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa, 761-0793, Japan.
authors: Yasuyuki
authors: Y
authors: Suzuki