Published online Aug 7, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i29.10151
Revised: March 12, 2014
Accepted: April 21, 2014
Published online: August 7, 2014
Core tip: Acute pancreatitis is the most common and potentially fatal complication of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been suggested to be effective in prospective controlled trials, but the results are inconclusive. A prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled multicentre study was therefore conducted in five endoscopic units. The results for 665 patients who randomly received a suppository containing 100 mg indomethacin or placebo before ERCP were evaluated. There was no difference between the indomethacin and placebo groups in the incidence of either post-ERCP pancreatitis or hyperamylasaemia. Rectal indomethacin is not effective in preventing post-ERCP pancreatitis in average-risk patients.