SEVERE ACUTE-PANCREATITIS - TREATMENT WITH SOMATOSTATIN

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of somatostatin for the treatmen t of severe acute pancreatitis. Design: Prospective, randomized and un blinded study. Setting: A general intensive care unit (ICU) in a unive rsity hospital. Patients: 50 patients with severe acute pancreatitis. Interventions: All patients received the conventional treatment for th is clinical condition. The study group received, in addition, somatost atin over a 10-day period. Measurements and results: We evaluated age, gender, etiology of the pancreatitis, severity of the illness, compli cations, length of hospitalization, and mortality in the ICU. The pati ents were classified as severe (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Ev aluation II score, Ranson's criteria, and computed tomography Balthaza r classification). Biliary lithiasis was the most common etiologic fac tor (63.6 % in the control group, 37.5 % in study group; NS). The stud y group required fewer overall surgical interventions than the control group (45.8 vs 86.4 %; p = 0.005). Late surgical procedures related t o the evolution of pancreatic necrosis were more common in the control s (63.6 vs 37.5 %; p = 0.07). No differences in length of stay in hosp ital or mortality in the ICU were observed. Conclusion: The only advan tage of somatostatin administration in the patients studied was a slig ht reduction in the need for surgery due to local complications.