Open AccessAntibiotic prophylaxis in the initial management of severe acute pancreatitis
Author(s) -
Powell J. J.,
Miles R.,
Siriwardena A. K.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
british journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.202
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1365-2168
pISSN - 0007-1323
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2168.1998.00767.x
Subject(s) - medicine , acute pancreatitis , antibiotics , intensive care medicine , antibiotic prophylaxis , pancreatitis , clinical trial , medline , randomized controlled trial , political science , law , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Background The role of antibiotic prophylaxis in the initial management of patients with acute pancreatitis is an area of major controversy. Contrary to earlier clinical trials, recent experimental and clinical studies have accrued evidence that warrants reappraisal of current clinical practice. This article reviews these recent advances in knowledge. Methods All papers derived from a Medline search for the years 1990–1997 inclusive using the text words ‘acute’, ‘pancreatitis’, ‘antibiotic’ and ‘antibiotics’ were studied. Additional papers were derived from reference lists within papers identified by the Medline search. Only experimental and clinical papers relevant to the issue of prophylactic antibiotic therapy in acute pancreatitis are included in the review. Results and conclusion Current experimental evidence favours the use of prophylactic antibiotics in severe acute pancreatitis. The results of contemporary randomized clinical trials restricted to patients with prognostically severe acute pancreatitis have demonstrated improvement in outcome associated with antibiotic treatment. © 1998 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd