Acute pancreatitis is a common disease (3rd cause of hospital admission for digestive causes), which is associated with significant patient suffering, a 2-4% probability of death and considerable healthcare costs. Sixty percent of acute pancreatitis are due to the presence of stones in the gallbladder. The risk of suffering another acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP, that is to say, pancreatitis due to gallstones) or of other biliary complications in the following weeks or months is high (20% or greater) if measures are not taken to avoid it, being surgical removal of the gallbladder the most effective. Unfortunately, most Spanish centers have a surgical waiting list that makes gallbladder surgery unfeasible in a period of less than weeks or months, which is why readmission for biliary problems derived from the stones is a common problem. This, of course, causes danger and great stress and anger for patients affected by these complications on the waiting list, damaging their relationship with the health system and it is linked to increased cost. In addition, there is a very vulnerable group, those patients who due to age or serious diseases cannot undergo gallbladder surgery but have a high probability of suffering biliary problems due to the stones they have.
Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is very safe drug which is used to dissolve gallstones, but its role in preventing biliary complications after ABP has not been studied adequately so it is not frequently used. Our objective is to investigate if UDCA is useful in this scenario, which would avoid suffering and adverse consequences for the patient and reduce the consumption of resources.
18 years old or older
Hospital admission due to acute pancreatitis (definition: at least 2 of the following criteria: A) Typical pancreatitis pain, B) Amylase and/or lipase higher than 3 times the upper level of normality, C) Imaging compatible with acute pancreatitis
Presence of gallstones according to any imaging technique
Patient informed consent
Cholecystectomy and/or endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography and / or endoscopic cholecystostomy prior to recruitment
Recurrent acute pancreatitis (1 or more previous episodes of pancreatitis of any origin)
Current waiting list for cholecystectomy for acute biliary pancreatitis at that center less than 30 days
Randomization more than 3 days after hospital discharge for acute pancreatitis
Parallel
Ursodeoxycholic Acid
DrugUrsodeoxycholic Acid will be administered to patients in the UDCA group as a prophylactic measure of future complications associated to gallstones
Placebo
DrugPlacebo: composition per 100g: colloidal silica 1.95g and cellulose microcrystalline 98.05g.
Complication due to gallstones
Composite endpoint: incidence of any of the following: acute pancreatitis, acute cholangitis, acute cholecystitis, biliary colic (with or without choledocholithiasis) Definitions are provided in "Secondary Outcome Measures"
Relapse of acute pancreatitis
New episode of acute pancreatitis after recruitment Definition of acute pancreatitis (revised Atlanta classification): 2 or more of the following criteria: A) Typical pancreatitis pain, B) Amylase and/or lipase higher than 3 times the upper level of normality, C) Imaging compatible with acute pancreatitis
Incidence of acute cholangitis
Acute cholangitis after recruitment Acute cholangitis definition (Tokyo 2018 guidelines): A. Systemic inflammation: A-1. Fever and/or shaking chills; A-2. Laboratory data: evidence of inflammatory response B. Cholestasis: B-1. Jaundice; B-2. Laboratory data: abnormal liver function tests C. Imaging: C-1. Biliary dilatation; C-2. Evidence of the etiology on imaging (stricture, stone, stent etc.) Suspected diagnosis: one item in A + one item in either B or C Definite diagnosis: one item in A, one item in B and one item in C
Incidence of acute cholecystitis
Acute cholecystitis after recruitment Acute cholecystitis definition (Tokyo 2018 guidelines): A. Local signs of inflammation: (1) Murphy's sign, (2) RUQ mass/pain/tenderness B. Systemic signs of inflammation: (1) Fever, (2) elevated CRP, (3) elevated WBC count C. Imaging findings: Imaging findings characteristic of acute cholecystitis Suspected diagnosis: one item in A + one item in B Definite diagnosis: one item in A + one item in B + C
Incidence of biliary colic, with or without choledocholithiasis
Biliary colic after recruitment Biliary colic definition: typical biliary colic pain. Choledocholithiasis: presence of stones or biliary sludge in the common bile duct according to imaging or endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography
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Hospital General Universitario de Alicante
Lead sponsor
Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Collaborator
