Acute Destructive Pancreatitis in Children

Abstract

Unlike adults, acute pancreatitis in children is a rare disease. The absence of unified standards for the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of children with acute destructive pancreatitis, as well as high rates of complications and mortality, determined the relevance of our study.Materials and methods. Materials and methods. The results of treatment of 11 children with acute destructive pancreatitis were studied. The age of the patients ranged from 2 to 16 years. Laboratory examination in all patients included general and biochemical analyzes of blood, urine, peritoneal and thoracic exudate. All children underwent an ultrasound examination of the abdomen, chest cavity and mediastinum, and plain radiography of the chest and abdominal cavity. Computed tomography was performed in 6 patients (54.5%). Fibrogastroduodenoscopy (FGDS) was performed in 3 patients (27.3%). All patients underwent surgery. In 8 cases (72.7%), a median laparotomy was performed initially. In 3 observations (27.3%), surgical treatment began with video surgical revision of the abdominal organs, and then switched to conversion. Three patients (27.3%) subsequently underwent cystopancreatic jejunostomy. In one child, transcutaneous drainage of a false pancreatic cyst was performed under video surgical control. Synthetic somatostatin analogs and proteinase inhibitors were used as targeted therapy. All patients received long-term antibacterial therapy. Various methods of extracorporeal detoxification were used in 6 patients (54.5%).Statistical processing of the research results was carried out using standard methods with the calculation of relative values (absolute number of observations, % ratio).The approval of the scientific work was received from the Bioethical Commission of the Donetsk National Medical University (Ukraine).The work is a fragment of proactive research work of the Department of General and Children's Surgery of the Donetsk National Medical University (Ukraine). Results. Complications in the early postoperative period were noted in 8 children (72.7%). The group of the most severe complications included progressive enzymatic bacterial peritonitis, early adhesive intestinal obstruction, failure of cystopancreatic ileal anastomosis, profuse arrosive hemorrhage from the pancreas, cystopancreaticodigestive fistula and eventation. In the early postoperative period, 1 child aged 14 years (9.1%) died, and the rest of the patients were discharged in satisfactory condition. The average hospital stay for children was 23.1 days. In 7 patients (63.6%), complaints characterized by "enteric" discomfort occurred later.Conclusions. The principles of surgical and therapeutic tactics in children with acute destructive pancreatitis are based on a differentiated approach depending on the form of pancreatic necrosis and the development of purulent and destructive complications. Further study requires determination of situational surgical tactics, assessment of the effectiveness of combined therapy with somatostatin and proteinase inhibitors, selection of the optimal regimen of nutritional therapy and rehabilitation.