Is nasogastric suction necessary in acute pancreatitis?

doi:10.1136/bmj.2.6138.659

Br Med J 1978;2:659-660 (2 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.2.6138.659

Is nasogastric suction necessary in acute pancreatitis?

R Naeije, E Salingret, N Clumeck, A De Troyer, G Devis

Fifty-eight patients with mild to moderately severe acute pancreatitiswere randomly allocated to treatment with or without nasogastricsuction (27 and 31 patients respectively). Intravenous fluidsand pethidine hydrochloride were also given. The two groupswere comparable clinically at the start of the study. Therewere no differences between the two groups in the mean durationof the following features: abdominal pain or tenderness; absenceof bowel movements; raised serum amylase concentration; timeto resumption of oral feeding; and days in hospital. Prolongedhyperamylasaemia (serum amylase greater than 0.33 mU/l) occurredin one patient in the suction group and in three patients inthe non-suction group. A mild recurrence of abdominal pain afterresumption of oral feeding occurred in three patients in thesuction group and in two patients in the non-suction group.Two patients in the suction group developed overt consumptioncoagulopathy and two others pulmonary complications. No patientin the non-suction group had complications. The findings suggestthat most patients with mild to moderately severe acute pancreatitisdo not benefit from nasogastric suction. The procedure shouldbe elective rather than mandatory in treating this condition.

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