Controlled trial of high-dose octreotide in treatment of acute pancreatitis

Nineteen consecutive patients with acute pancreatitis were sequentially allocated to treatment with high-dose octreotide (N=9) or to act as controls (N=10). All other aspects of treatment were similar and were according to a strict treatment protocol. There was no significant difference between the two groups on admission with regard to recognized criteria of poor prognosis. The octreotide-treated group required significantly less analgesia and after 48 hr developed significantly fewer poor prognostic indicators, including falls in hematocrit of >10%, in serum albumin to <32 g/liter, and in serum calcium to <2.00 mmol/liter. Falls in arterial PO₂ to <10 kPa, in serum albumin of >20%, and in hemoglobin of >2 g/dl were also significantly less frequent. There was a trend towards improvement in the octreotide-treated group in every other physiological and radiological indicator of disease severity. High-dose octreotide may reduce the severity of acute pancreatitis.