[Antibiotic prevention and therapy of infectious complications in ERCP]

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) may be complicated by bacteremia, cholangitis, or biliary sepsis. Bacteremia during ERCP implies a potential risk of endocarditis in patients with valvular prostheses or a previous history of infectious endocarditis. For these patients antibiotic prophylaxis prior to ERCP is recommended. Cholangitis or biliary sepsis may develop after ERCP in patients with obstructed bile ducts. In these patients antibiotics should be administered until adequate drainage of biliary obstructions is achieved. Antibiotic prophylaxis and antibiotic therapy must consider the spectrum of micro-organisms which is normally found in each of these situations. Regarding bacteremias associated with ERCP gram-positive cocci predominate, whereas cholangitis and biliary sepsis are caused mainly by gram-negative rods like Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, or Klebsiella spp.