ORAL LOSARTAN IN THE PREVENTION OF POST-ENDOSCOPIC RETROGRADE CHOLANGIOPANCREATOGRAPHY PANCREATITIS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Departments of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt

2 Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt

3 Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt

Abstract

Generally speaking, acute pancreatitis is a dreadful complication of the endoscopic retro-grade
cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP). But, losartan was suggested to prevent the post-ERCP acute
pancreatitis. Thus, this study evaluated the use of oral losartan in prevention of the post-ERCP
pancreatitis. The study was conducted on 50 patients who received 50mg of oral losartan one
hour before ERCP (Study group), and another 50 patients who underwent ERCP without losartan
prophylaxis (Control group). Serum amylase and lipase were measured before and after ERCP.
The results showed that two patients of the study group and one patient of the control one developed
post ERCP-pancreatitis in a total percent of 3%. The use of oral Losartan in a dose of 50mg
an hour before the ERCP did not significantly decrease the incidence of pancreatitis. The ERCP
duration was significantly longer among cases that developed pancreatitis in the study group.

Keywords