Summary of integrative medicine for severe acute pancreatitis: 26-year clinical experiences and a report of 1 561 cases

Objective:To investigate the changing trends of clinical management for severe acute pancreatitis(SAP) with integrative medicine.Methods:Clinical data of 1 561 patients with SAP from 1980 to 2005 was retrospectively analyzed.The mortality and morbidity of complications were compared.Results:Of the 1 561 patients,400 patients accepted surgical operation,while the rest were treated conservatively with integrative medicine.There was a change toward conservative management together with Chinese purgative herbal medication use after 1990(22.4%from 1980-1990 compared with 45.5%from 1991-1993) because of high postoperative mortality.From 1994-2005,the treatment integrating Western medicine with Chinese herbal medications came to be preferred over the classic Western operation-based method.This change was associated with decreased morbidity(35.4%in 1980-1990 compared with 24.7%in 1991-1993 and 11.0%in 1994-2005,P<0.05) and lower mortality(40.52%of 1980-1990 compared with 17.17%of 1991- 1993 and 10.25%of 1994-2005,P<0.05).Conclusion:The combination of conservative management with Chinese herbal medicines is preferable to classic Western medicine treatment to reduce morbidity and mortality of SAP,while surgery becomes a supplemental option.