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Prevalence of primary fungal infections in necrotizing pancreatitis

Tyler M Berzin1, Flavio G Rocha, Edward E Whang

  • 1Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Pancreatology : Official Journal of the International Association of Pancreatology (IAP) ... [Et Al.]
|April 24, 2007
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

In necrotizing pancreatitis, primary fungal infections were absent. Limited carbapenem use and short treatment durations may explain this finding, suggesting careful antibiotic strategies are key for managing pancreatic infections.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Surgical Critical Care

Background:

  • Broad-spectrum antibiotic use, particularly carbapenems, is a suspected risk factor for fungal infections in necrotizing pancreatitis.
  • Understanding the prevalence of fungal infections and antibiotic patterns is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the incidence of primary fungal infections in necrotizing pancreatitis.
  • To analyze antibiotic usage patterns in patients with necrotizing pancreatitis.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of 689 acute pancreatitis patients (2000-2004).
  • Necrotizing pancreatitis diagnosis via contrast-enhanced CT scan.
  • Analysis of antibiotic exposure and microbiological data from interventions for fungal infection evidence.

Main Results:

  • No primary fungal infections observed in 64 necrotizing pancreatitis patients.
  • 7 (11%) secondary fungal infections and 15 (23%) bacterial infections occurred.
  • 45% received carbapenems (median 6 days); 84% received other antibiotics (median 14 days).

Conclusions:

  • Limited carbapenem use and short treatment duration may be associated with the absence of primary fungal infections.
  • This suggests judicious antibiotic selection and administration are important in necrotizing pancreatitis.

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