Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of early pancreatic duct stenting in the treatment of acute pancreatitis.

Methods The retrospective and descriptive study was conducted. The clinical data of 201 patients with acute pancreatitis who were admitted to General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from October 2011 to December 2017 were collected. There were 106 males and 95 females, aged from 18 to 90 years, with a median age of 62 years. Of 201 patients, there were 178 cases with moderate severe acute pancreatitis and 23 cases with serious severe acute pancreatitis. Patients were treated with pancreatic duct stenting within 48 hours after admission. Observation indicators: (1) treatment; (2) follow-up. Follow-up was conducted using outpatient examination and telephone interview to detect recurrence of acute pancreatitis after surgery up to June 2019. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented by Mean±SD, and the independent sample t test was used for comparison between groups, and the matched samples t test was used for comparison between before and after. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented by M(P25,P75) or M(range), and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between groups, and the Wilcoxon signed rank sum test was used for comparison between before and after. Count data were expressed as absolute numbers or percentages, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the chi-square test .

Results (1) Treatment: 201 patients received pancreatic duct stenting successfully, 63 of which were detected pancreatic obstruction with white-floc. The interval time from admission to surgery , operation time, time for initial oral intake, duration of hospital stay and hospital expenses of 201 patients were 10 hours(4 hours,22 hours), (35±15)minutes, 3 days(2 days,5 days), 6 days(5 days,10 days) and 3.8×10⁴ yuan (3.0×10⁴ yuan,4.9×10⁴ yuan). Of 201 patients, 22 patients were transferred to intensive care unit, including 1 case with serious severe underwent inhospital death and 1 case with moderate severe and 7 cases with serious severe underwent auto-discharge from hospital. There were 25 cases with local complications, including 17 cases with pancreatic infectious necrosis, 7 cases with pancreatic walled-off necrosis and 1 case with spleen infarction. All 25 patients were cured after surgical inter-vention or conservative treatment. Further analysis showed that cases being transferred to intensive care unit, cases undergoing surgical treatment, the time for initial oral intake, duration of hospital stay and cases undergoing auto-discharge from hospital were 6, 11, 3 days(2 days,5 days), 6 days(5 days,10 days) and 1 for the 178 moderate severe cases, versus 16, 5, 7 days(4 days,9 days), 9 days (7 days,17 days) and 7 for the 23 serious severe cases, showing significant differences (χ²=91.561, 6.730, Z=6.485, 5.463, χ²=47.561, P<0.05). The white blood cell count, serum amylase indexes and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ score of 201 patients were (14±6)×10⁹/L, 928 U/L(411 U/L,1 588 U/L), 9±5 before admission, versus (10±4)×10⁹/L, 132 U/L(72 U/L,275 U/L), 6±4 at 48 hours after admission, respectively, showing significant differences (t=12.219, Z=11.639, t=16.016, P<0.05). (2) Follow-up: of 201 patients, 153 cases were followed up for 40 months (27 months,55 months). During the follow-up, 32 of the 153 cases had recurrence of acute pancreatitis.

Conclusion Early pancreatic duct stenting is safe and feasible in the treatment of acute pancreatitis.