Role of early continuous regional arterial infusion of protease inhibitor and antibiotic in nonsurgical treatment of acute necrotizing pancreatitis

This paper reviewed our experience with the nonsurgical management of acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP) by continuous regional arterial infusion (CRAI) of protease inhibitor (nafamostat mesilate, 240 mg/day) and antibiotic (imipenem, 0.5 g every 12 h). 47 patients with ANP admitted within 7 days were treated with intensive care and CRAI for 5 days prospectively. 40 patients responded to CRAI therapy and the mortality rate in these patients was 2.5%. 7 patients (14.9%) did not respond to CRAI. 5 of 7 nonresponders died of multiple organ failure although pancreatic necrosis was persistently sterile. The remaining 2 patients who underwent necrosectomy for infected pancreatic necrosis recovered after surgery. in 34 patients treated with CRAI in the early stage within 72 h after the onset, 31 (91.2%) responded. The mortality rate was 5.9% and the incidence of infected pancreatic necrosis was 2.9% in these 34 patients. These results demonstrated that most patients with ANP responded to conservative management combined with CRAI with nafamostat and imipenem when employed within 72 h after the onset. Early intervention of CRAI with protease inhibitor and antibiotic has a significant role in the nonsurgical management of ANP.