The efficiency of continuous regional intra-arterial infusion in the treatment of infected pancreatic necrosis.

Our aim was to investigate the efficiency of continuous regional intra-arterial infusion (CRAI) with antisecretory agents and antibiotics in the treatment of infected pancreatic necrosis. CRAI was used as a new clinical technique to treat acute pancreatitis patients during a 4-year period at the First Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical College, China. In this retrospective study, thirty-four patients with proven infected pancreatic necrosis were included. Twelve patients were treated with CRAI, and were matched according to age, sex, APACHE II scores, Ranson scores and remote organ dysfunction, with 22 patients with IPN treated surgically. The clinical outcome following surgery and CRAI were compared. No difference was found between the two groups when comparing age, gender, APACHE II scores, Ranson scores and remote organ dysfunction (p > 0.05). The patients treated with CRAI had a lower incidence of complications (33.3% vs 72.7%), duration of hospitalization (27.1 ± 4.7 days vs 43.0 ± 12.0 days) and cost of hospitalization (4.09 ± 1.64 thousand RMB vs 8.77 ± 3.74 thousand RMB) as compared to patients treated with surgery (p < 0.05). The survival rate was significantly higher in the CRAI group as compared to the surgical group (91.7% vs 63.6%; p < 0.01). However, the two groups had similar rates of concomitant operative treatment and incidence of remote organ dysfunction (p > 0.05). CRAI or CRAI in combination with abscess drainage seemingly improve the clinical outcome in patients with infected pancreatic necrosis. Further confirmative prospective randomized multicenter studies are warranted prior to broad introduction of the CRAI concept.