CAN AMLODIPINE AFFECT THE SEVERITY OF PEP?

Aims PEP has been reported at a rate of 1-15% in different studies. The risk of PEP varies depending on the patient, operator and many factors related to the procedure. The effectiveness of pancreatic stenting and NSAIDs has been proven to prevent PEP from occurring. Treatments that reduce the sphincter of Oddi pressure—except nitroglycerin—are not thought to reduce the risk of PEP. Nifedipine, a calcium channel blocker, has been shown not to be beneficial in PEP. In our study, we investigated the contribution of amlodipine, a different class of calcium channel blocker, to the severity of PEP, length of hospital stay, and mortality.

Methods The study included 169 patients who developed PEP out of 1247 ERCP cases performed in our center between February 2019 and March 2021. Among these patients, 10 patients who were started on amlodipine 24-72 hours before the procedure and 10 patients who were not given amlodipine were compared in terms of PEP severity, hospital stay, and mortality. Twelve patients who regularly used amlodipine were excluded from the study.

Results

Table 1

	Control Group	Amlodipine Group	p value
Age (mean)/ Gender (Male-Female)	62,70/ 7-3	63,30/ 7-3
PEP Severity (mild/moderate/severe)	10/0/0	10/0/0	p>0.05
Hospital Stay (mean days)	6,30	5,40	p>0.05
Mortality	0	0	p>0.05

Conclusions The contribution of amlodipine in terms of PEP severity, length of hospital stay and mortality could not be demonstrated. Studies involving more patients should be conducted in terms of its contribution to the prevention of PEP development.

Publication History

Article published online:
14 April 2022