Pigtail catheter drainage and surgery in severe acute pancreatitis

Severe acute pancreatitis is initially managed with conservative treatment. Patients who failed conservative management were effectively treated with pigtail drainage. Factors predicting surgery remain uncertain.

A total of 58 patients with severe acute pancreatitis presenting to JIPMER Hospital were studied and managed with a step-up approach. In this prospective observational study, patients were divided into three groups based on the final mode of treatment received: conservative, pigtail alone, and surgery groups.

Of 58 patients, 30 patients were managed with conservative treatment, 20 patients with pigtail alone, and 8 patients underwent surgical treatment after pigtail failure. Overall sepsis reversal was achieved in 22 of 28 (78.5%) patients: 18 were in the pigtail alone group, and 4 were in surgery group, which was statistically significant (P = 0.03). Respiratory failure was the most common organ failure, 68.9%, and overall mortality was 8.62 in this study. On univariate analysis, absence of sepsis reversal within 2 weeks of pigtail insertion is a predictor of need of surgery. Other significant findings were higher catheter-related complications in the surgery group (P = 0.01) and a 100% unimicrobial infection in the surgery group (P = 0.02). Overall mortality was 8.6%, which did not differ significantly between the groups.

The step-up approach avoided unnecessary intervention, and 52% patients recovered by conservative treatment alone. Sepsis reversal within 2 weeks of pigtail insertion can be used as a predictor of surgery in the early course of severe acute pancreatitis managed by the step-up approach.