Background: Epinephrine sprayed on the papilla may reduce papillary edema and thus prevent acute pancreatitis after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of this technique for prevention of post- ERCP pancreatitis.
Methods: Patients scheduled for ERCP were recruited into this study. We randomized the patients to have 10 ml of either 0.02% epinephrine (epinephrine group) or saline (control group) sprayed on the papilla after diagnostic ERCP and prospectively analyzed the occurrence of post-ERCP pancreatitis between the groups. We recorded duct visualization, presence of pancreatic acinarization, number of injections into the pancreatic duct, total volume of contrast used, and procedure duration.
Results: There was no significant difference between the groups with regard to visualization of the bile duct and/or the main and accessory pancreatic ducts, presence of pancreatic acinarization, number of injections into the pancreatic duct, total volume of contrast used, and procedure duration. Overall, post-ERCP pancreatitis occurred in 4 of the 370 patients (1.1%). The incidence of pancreatitis tended to be higher in the control group (4/185) than in the epinephrine group (0/185) (P = 0.1230).
Conclusions: Epinephrine sprayed on the papilla tended to prevent post-ERCP pancreatitis, although it was not statistically significant because of the low incidence of pancreatitis. Further studies on the efficacy of this technique in patients at high risk for pancreatitis, and on other volumes and/or concentrations of epinephrine, are warranted.