A cheap way to prevent a common pancreatic procedure complication

Researchers at University of Michigan Health System led Dr. B. Joseph Elmunzer, a gastroenterologist and assistant professor of internal medicine, have performed a clinical trial that demonstrated an effective prevention of post-ERCP pancreatitis, a complication that occurs in 1 in 4 high risk patients who undergo endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, or ERCP, a procedure to diagnose and treat problems of the bile and pancreatic ducts. The researchers administered a single dose of a $5 non-steroid anti-inflammatory medicine called indomethacin, which inhibits inflammatory response by the pancreas that can occur after an ERCP. Results of the study showed only 9.2 percent of patients who took indomethacin developed post-ERCP pancreatitis compared to 16.9 percent of those who took a placebo. This study was executed by the United States Cooperative for Outcomes Research in Endoscopy which provides a platform for gastrointestinal programs to conduct large-scale patient studies.