A Double-Blind Study to Determine if Intraduodenal Indomethacin Can Decrease the Incidence of Post-ERCP Pancreatitis

Post-ERCP pancreatitis is likely due to the patient's inflammatory response to duct instrumentation during the procedure and severity is based on the magnitude of this response. Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) plays a pivotal role in inflammation since it regulates many pro-inflammatory mediators, including prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and platelet activating factor. NSAIDs inhibit PLA2, and indomethacin is the most potent clinically available PLA2 inhibitor. Our study hypothesis is that treatment with indomethacin will reduce the inflammatory response to ERCP, and therefore lessen the incidence and severity of post-ERCP pancreatitis.

Aim: We plan to conduct a prospective, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to determine if a single dose of 100 mg indomethacin suspension instilled into the duodenum by the endoscope immediately following ERCP can reduce the incidence and severity of post-ERCP pancreatitis.

Patients scheduled to undergo diagnostic or therapeutic ERCP would be serially enrolled. Standard indications for ERCP will include the following: evaluation of obstructive jaundice, unexplained pancreatitis, recurrent pancreaticobiliary pain and abnormal liver tests. Those patients who are deemed to be at increased risk of pancreatitis (suspected sphincter of oddi dysfunction, age < 40 yrs, normal bilirubin, prior post ERCP pancreatitis, difficult cannulation, pancreatic duct injection, pancreatic duct sphincterotomy, undergoing pre-cut sphincterotomy and balloon dilation of the biliary sphincter) would undergo placement of a 3 French pancreatic stent at the time of ERCP. Prospective randomized studies have demonstrated a marked decrease in post-ERCP pancreatitis rates in high risk patients who have undergone pancreatic stenting. Following ERCP and therapy (if required), they would be randomized to receive a dose of indomethacin or placebo instilled into the duodenum via the biopsy channel of the duodenoscope. Patients as well as physicians and nurses performing the procedure and overseeing the study will be unaware of treatment assignments.

All of the endoscopic and clinical practices will follow the current standard of care of the Yale interventional endoscopy department. Participation in the study will not alter this in any way. The experimental intervention is limited to the administration of a single dose of indomethacin, injected into the endoscope channel prior to removal of the scope at the conclusion of the ERCP and subsequent monitoring for signs and symptoms of post-ERCP pancreatitis, much of which is also part of routine clinical practice.

At the end of the procedure the details of the endoscopic maneuver are recorded, including ease/difficulty of cannulation, sphincterotomy (biliary and/or pancreatic) performed, number of cannulations, number of pancreatic duct injections, technique of sphincterotomy (Needle Knife/Stent vs pull-type) and duct diameters.

All patients will be observed for 4 hours following ERCP which is part of the routine clinical practice following ERCP. Patients with minimal pain will be discharged after a 4-hour period of observation. All patients will have baseline serum amylase levels which will be repeated 4 hours after the ERCP has been completed. Patients with significant abdominal pain following ERCP will be hospitalized overnight and evaluated for post-ERCP pancreatitis with monitoring of vital signs, urinary output and serum amylase levels the following morning. Patients with ongoing symptoms at 48 hours and later will undergo imaging with either abdominal ultrasonography or CT scanning. This also represents current standard clinical practice.

Patients discharged home will be contacted by telephone the following day to assess for complications including post-ERCP pancreatitis.