Antioxidant drugs to prevent post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis: What does evidence suggest?

Table 1 Main characteristics of the randomized controlled trials included in this study

Ref.	No. of patients (antioxidant/placebo)	Patient characteristics	Antioxidant supplement	Intervention		Study design
				Antioxidant group	Control group
Wollschläger et al[34], 1999	40 (20/20)	Patients undergoing ERCP	Selenite	Selenite, IV, 1 mg bolus/2 × 1 mg infusion, l d before ERCP	Control, no prophylaxis	Randomized, controlled
Budzyńska et al[35], 2001	200 (99/101)	Patients undergoing elective ERCP	Allopurinol	Allopurinol, orally, 200 mg, 15 h and 3 h before ERCP	Placebo, orally, 200 mg, 15 and 3 h before ERCP	Randomized, placebo-controlled
Lavy et al[36], 2004	321 (141/180)	Patients undergoing ERCP	β-carotene	β-carotene, orally, 2 g, 12 h before ERCP	Placebo, orally, 2 g, 12 h before ERCP	Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Katsinelos et al[37], 2005	249 (124/125)	Patients undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic ERCP	NAC	NAC, IV, 70 mg/kg 2 h before, and 35 mg/kg at 4 h intervals for 24 h after ERCP	Placebo IV, 70 mg/kg 2 h before, and 35 mg/kg at 4 h intervals for 24 h after ERCP	Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Katsinelos et al[38], 2005	243 (125/118)	Patients undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic ERCP	Allopurinol	Allopurinol, orally, 600 mg, 15 and 3 h before ERCP	Placebo, orally, 600 mg, 15 and 3 h before ERCP	Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Mosler et al[39], 2005	701 (355/346)	Patients undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic ERCP	Allopurinol	Allopurinol, orally, 4 h (600 mg) and 1 h (300 mg) before ERCP	Placebo, orally, 4 h (600 mg) and 1 h (300 mg) before ERCP	Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Milewski et al[40], 2006	106 (55/51)	Patients undergoing ERCP	NAC	NAC, two doses of 600 mg orally 24 h and 12 h before ERCP, and 600 mg IV for 2 d after ERCP	Placebo IV, twice a day for 2 d after ERCP	Randomized, placebo-controlled
Kapetanos et al[41], 2007	320 (158/162)	Patients undergoing ERCP	Pentoxifylline	Pentoxifylline, orally, 400 mg, 1 d before ERCP (2 and 10 pm) until the night after ERCP (6 am, 2 and 10 pm)	No intervention	Randomized, controlled
Romagnuolo et al[42], 2008	586 (293/293)	Patients undergoing ERCP	Allopurinol	Allopurinol, orally, 300 mg, 1 h before ERCP	Placebo, orally, 300 mg, 1 h before ERCP	Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Martinez-Torres et al[43], 2009	170 (85/85)	Patients undergoing ERCP	Allopurinol	Allopurinol, orally, 300 mg, 15 and 3 h before ERCP	Placebo, orally, 300 mg, 15 and 3 h before ERCP	Randomized, placebo-controlled
Abbasinazari et al[44], 2011	74 (29/45)	Patients undergoing ERCP	Allopurinol	Allopurinol, orally, 300 mg, 15 and 3 h before ERCP	Placebo, orally, 300 mg, 15 and 3 h before ERCP	Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Alavi Nejad et al[45], 2013	100 (50/50)	Patients undergoing ERCP	NAC	NAC, 1200 mg with 150 mL water orally 2 h before ERCP	Placebo, orally 2 h before ERCP	Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled

ERCP: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography; IV: Intravenously; NAC: N-acetylcysteine.