Basic Research
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2004. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. May 1, 2004; 10(9): 1333-1336
Published online May 1, 2004. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v10.i9.1333
Dexamethasone and dextran 40 treatment of 32 patients with severe acute pancreatitis
Zi-Fa Wang, Chang Liu, Yi Lu, Rui Dong, Jun Xu, Liang Yu, Ying-Min Yao, Qing-Guang Liu, Cheng-En Pan
Zi-Fa Wang, Chang Liu, Yi Lu, Rui Dong, Jun Xu, Liang Yu, Ying-Min Yao, Qing-Guang Liu, Cheng-En Pan, Department of Surgery, First Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi Province, China
Zi-Fa Wang, Now is in the Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr. Zi-Fa Wang, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, NW607, Montefiore University Hospital, 3459 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States. ziw3@pitt.edu
Telephone: +1-412-3439407 Fax: +1-412-6475959
Received: May 10, 2003
Revised: October 20, 2003
Accepted: January 29, 2004
Published online: May 1, 2004
Abstract

AIM: Based on the pathogenesis of severe acute pancreatitis and our experimental studies, to investigate the effect of dexamethasone and dextran in treatment of patients with severe acute pancreatitis.

METHODS: Thirty-two patients with severe acute pancreatitis were treated with 0.5-1 mg/kg per day dexamethasone for 3-5 d, and 500-1 000 mL/d of dextran 40 for 7 d, besides the routine therapy.

RESULTS: After 4-8 h of treatment, abdominal pain began to be relieved; range of tenderness began to be localized in 27 patients. They were cured with nonsurgical treatment. Five of them were deteriorated, and treated with surgery. Four patients in this group died.

CONCLUSION: Dexamethasone and dextran 40 block the pathologic process of severe acute pancreatitis through inhibition of inflammatory mediators and improvement of microcirculation disorders respectively.

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