Infectious complications of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), performed for the diagnosis and treatment of many conditions of the bile ducts and the pancreas, can result in complications, including infectious ones, such as sepsis, cholangitis, cholecystitis, liver abscess, infected pancreatic pseudocyst, endocarditis, and perforation. It is important for the clinician to be knowledgeable about the most common infectious complications of ERCP to quickly and accurately identify and manage them. Here, we review these complications highlighting the risk factors, presentation, and management, as well as the recommended strategies to help prevent them. The risk of infectious complications is higher in some situations, such as primary sclerosing cholangitis and in liver transplant recipients, and these are reviewed as well.