Pharmacological Prophylaxis of Post- Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Pancreatitis

Comparative Evaluation of Standard Prophylaxis Versus Divided-dose NSAIDs or Hybrid NSAID and N-acetylcysteine Therapy for the Prevention of Post-ERCP Pancreatitis

The investigators aimed to perform a comparative study, evaluating the efficacy of three prophylactic approaches aiming to reduce the risk of post-ERCP pancreatitis, using pharmacologic agents with different mechanisms of action (NSAIDs and/or acetylcysteine) in three different regimens.

Inclusion Criteria:

• age 18 years and older
• diagnosis of choledocholithiasis
• indication for ERCP procedures
• willingness to participate in the study
• the ability to sign the informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• presence of acute pancreatitis or other inflammatory diseases at admission
• pregnancy
• contraindication for NSAID administration
• recent episode of upper digestive bleeding (less than one month)
• hypersensibility to antioxidants hypersensibility to antioxidants
• the necessity of a prophylactic pancreatic stent insertion
• patients' disapproval to take part in the study