[The effect of bile duct pressure on cholangiovenous reflux. A clinical study]

The measurement of the filling pressure of the bile duct during the process of endoscopic retrograde catheter cholangiography, and the determination of blood culture and blood iodine before and after cholangiography were carried out to probe into the effect of bile duct pressure on cholangiovenous reflux. In 32 cases, 2 had positive blood culture after cholangiography, with a bile duct pressure being 2.98 kPa and 3.72 kPa respectively. Nineteen cases with a pressure below 2.94 kPa showed negative blood culture. In 10 cases with a bile duct filling pressure below 2.16 kPa, no increase in blood iodine was noted whereas, blood iodine level was increased in 5 out of 9 cases (55.6%) with a bile duct filling pressure between 2.16-2.94 kPa, and in 9 out of 13 cases 69.2% with the pressure greater than 2.94 kPa. We believed that during direct cholangiography, the bile duct pressure should be lower than 2.94 kPa in order to prevent the complication of bacteremia. For patients hypersensitive to iodine, the bile duct pressure should be lower than 2.16 kPa.