Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
3318603 | Pancreatology | 2007 | 8 Pages |
Abstract
Aim: To evaluate the methodological quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of systemic antibiotic prophylaxis in severe acute pancreatitis in relation to outcome. Methods: The MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane databases were searched for RCTs that studied the effectiveness of systemic antibiotic prophylaxis in severe acute pancreatitis. A meta-analysis was performed with a random effects model. Methodological quality was quantified by a previously published scoring system (range 0-17 points). Results: Six studies, with a total of 397 participants, obtained a methodological score of at least 5 points and were included. Systemic antibiotic prophylaxis had no significant effect on infection of pancreatic necrosis (absolute risk reduction (ARR) 0.055; 95% Cl -0.084 to 0.194) and mortality (ARR 0.058, 95% Cl -0.017 to 0.134). Spearman correlation showed an inverse association between methodological quality and ARR for mortality (correlation coefficient -0.841, p = 0.036). Conclusions: The inverse relationship between methodological quality and impact of antibiotic prophylaxis on mortality emphasizes the importance of high-quality RCTs. At present, adequate evidence for the routine use of antibiotic prophylaxis in severe acute pancreatitis is lacking.
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Authors
Annemarie C. de Vries, Marc G.H. Besselink, Erik Buskens, Ben U. Ridwan, Maria Schipper, Karel J. van Erpecum, Hein G. Gooszen,