Antimicrobial prophylaxis in acute pancreatitis: selective decontamination versus antibiotics

The results of several controlled clinical trials, published during the last 5 years, provide evidence of a beneficial role for early antimicrobial prophylaxis in severe acute pancreatitis. Pancreatic infections, especially gram-negative, which are of major importance with regard to morbidity and mortality, are gut-derived. Early enteral administration of antibiotics therefore seems the most logical measure to nip the danger in the bud. Intravenous antibiotics should adequately penetrate (peri)pancreatic tissues, i.e. necrotic tissues, and should be effective against the prevalent flora in infected necrotic tissues. However, the optimal route of administration is still a matter of debate. In contrast to one clinical trial using selective decontamination (SD) (i.e. enteral antibiotics combined with short systemic prophylaxis until SD is established), no clinical trial using intravenous antibiotics has been reported in which both pancreatic infections as well as mortality were reduced. Although the evidence supporting enteral administration, i.e. SD, is not unimpressive, further controlled clinical trials, in which the different ways of administration are compared, are warranted.