Prevention of severe change in acute pancreatitis: prediction and prevention

Bacterial infection of pancreatic necrosis is the most frequent local complication of severe acute pancreatitis and is responsible for the majority of deaths in this disease. The development of systemic complications of severe acute pancreatitis such as septic multiple organ failure is closely related to infected necrosis. In this review, the factors predisposing to a severe course of acute pancreatitis are discussed as are clinical and laboratory markers which allow identification of patients at risk. Prevention of complications of acute pancreatitis is difficult. A variety of drugs including antiproteases and antiinflammatory agents have been shown to be of no benefit with regard to the reduction of severe complications. At present, based on the results of controlled trials, there is the widespread belief that prophylactic antibiotics are capable of reducing the incidence of infected pancreatic necrosis. New approaches for the prevention of systemic complications of severe acute pancreatitis are total enteral nutrition and local arterial infusion of antibiotics and antiproteases into the celiac trunk.