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Short report: octreotide in the treatment of external pancreatic fistulas
Author(s) -
TULASSAY Z.,
FLAUTNER L.,
VADÁSZ A.,
FEHÉRVÁRI I.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
alimentary pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.308
H-Index - 177
eISSN - 1365-2036
pISSN - 0269-2813
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2036.1993.tb00104.x
Subject(s) - octreotide , medicine , somatostatin , pancreatic fistula , fistula , surgery , gastroenterology , pancreas
SUMMARY The efficacy of the long‐lasting somatostatin analogue, octreotide, in the treatment of high‐output pancreatic fistulas was investigated in this prospective, open study. Sixteen patients with post‐operative pancreatic fistulas were treated with subcutaneous injections of octreotide 0.1 mg b.d. The output of the fistulas before the somatostatin therapy ranged between 190 and 5 70 ml/day. The therapy was begun on average 17 days following the appearance of the fistula (range 4 to 35 days). The decrease in volume one day after initiation of therapy ranged from 26% to 69%. By the third day of treatment the fistula volume decreased to 0–45% of the initial output. The treatment resulted in the closure of 14 of the 16 fistulas; the time to closure ranging from 3 to 15 days. The results suggest that octreotide is a useful adjuvant agent in the treatment of an external pancreatic fistula.