Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in elderly patients: Difficult cannulation and adverse events

Table 1 Summary of patient characteristics in the older and younger groups

Parameter	Overall (n = 614)	Age ≥ 80 (n = 146)		Age < 80 (n = 468)	P value
Age [median (IQR)] (yr)	68 (54-79)	83 (81-86)		62 (50-71)
Charlson score [median (IQR)]	0 (0-1)	1 (0-2)		0 (0-1)	0.001a
Charlson score ≥ 2	21% (129)	29.5% (43)		18.4% (86)	0.005b
ERCP procedure time [median (IQR)] (min)	30 (23-45)	30 (23-45)		30 (24-45)	0.711a
Cannulation time [median (IQR)] (min)	3.6 (0.8-11.8)	3.4 (0.8-11.2)		3.7 (0.8-12)	0.292a
Male	53.2% (327)	51.4% (75)		53.8% (252)	0.636b
Cannulation success rate	96.7% (595)	96.6% (141)		96.8% (454)	0.547b
Indications
Biliary stones	82.4% (506)	82.9% (121)		82.3% (385)	0.468b
Benign strictures	12.7% (78)	11% (16)		13.2% (62)	0.287b
Cholangiocarcinoma	4.2% (26)	4.8% (7)		4.1% (19)	0.424b
Cholangitis	9.1% (56)	6.8% (10)		9.8% (46)	0.180b
Biliary pancreatitis	5.9% (36)	4.8% (7)		6.2% (29)	0.346b
Chronic pancreatitis	1.3% (8)	0% (0)		1.7% (8)	0.113b
Ampullary carcinoma	3.3% (20)	5.5% (8)		2.6% (12)	0.076b
Pancreatic cancer	3.6% (22)	2.7% (4)		3.8% (18)	0.371b
Comorbidities
Hypertension	29.5% (181)	38.4% (56)		26.7% (125)	0.009b
Cardiac diseases	7.5% (46)	15.1% (22)		5.1% (24)	< 0.001b
Diabetes mellitus	11.7% (72)	13% (19)		11.3% (53)	0.558b
Neurological diseases	12.5% (77)	21.9% (32)		9.6% (45)	< 0.001b
Hepatic diseases	7.8% (48)	5.5% (8)		8.5% (40)	0.290b
Malignancy	9.3% (57)	11% (16)		8.8% (41)	0.256b
Others	9.9% (61)	14.4% (21)		8.5% (40)	0.031b
Periampullary diverticulum	19.7% (121)	29.5% (43)		16.7% (78)	0.001b
Cannulation grade of difficulty
Easy cannulation	66% (405)		67.1% (98)	65.6% (307)	0.621b
Moderate cannulation	11.7% (72)		10.3% (15)	12.2% (57)	0.658b
Difficult cannulation	22.3% (137)		22.6% (33)	22.2% (104)	0.910b
Second ERCP	20.4% (125)		20.5% (30)	20.3% (95)	0.512b
Adverse events	9.8% (60)		13% (19)	8.8% (41)	0.089b
PEP	5.2% (32)		2.7% (4)	6% (28)	0.088b
Perforation	0.5% (3)		0.7% (1)	0.4% (2)	0.557b
Bleeding	1.9% (12)		4.1% (6)	1.3% (6)	0.111b
Cholangitis	0.6% (4)		0.7% (1)	0.6% (3)	0.663b
Cardiopulmonary	0.6% (4)		0.7% (1)	0.6% (3)	0.443b
Duration of hospitalization [median (IQR)] (d)	9 (6-13)		9 (7-13)	9 (6-13)	0.208a
Pancreatic stent	10.4% (64)		7.5% (11)	11.3% (53)	0.124b
Anti-thrombotic drug	5.5% (34)		7.5% (11)	4.9% (23)	< 0.001b

^aIndependent sample Mann-Whitney U-test.

^bFisher’s exact test. IQR: Interquartile range; ERCP: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.