OCTREOTIDE AND POSTOPERATIVE ENTEROCUTANEOUS FISTULAS - A CONTROLLED PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

Nineteen patients with postoperative enterocutaneous fistulae were ran domised, in a double blind fashion, to receive either 12 days of octre otide (100 mug tds) by subcutaneous injection or 12 days of placebo in jections. Fistula output for 7 days before and during all 12 days of t reatment was recorded for each patient. Fistula losses before entering the trial were similar for both the placebo group (n=8 ; range of dai ly medians : 202 mls to 400 mls) and the group of patients randomised to receive octreotide (n=11 ; range of daily medians : 252 mls to 550 mls). There was no significant difference in fistula output between th e two groups of patients while receiving either 12 days of placebo inj ections or 12 days of subcutaneous octreotide therapy. Fistula closure , defined as no fistula output for 2 successive days during the 12 day s ''therapy'' period, was seen in only 1 patient given octreotide and in 3 patients given the placebo. In a double blind prospective study o f 19 patients with enterocutaneous fistulae, octreotide therapy was ne ither associated with a significant reduction in fistula losses nor an increased rate of spontaneous fistula closure.