Objective

To investigate the prognostic effects of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine therapy without antibiotics in treatment of patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).
Methods

SAP patients were randomly divided into treatment group (26 cases included) and control group (28 cases included). In addition to the same protocol of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment for both groups, intravenous drip infusion of 0.5 g imipenem-cilastatin was administered to the patients in the control group every eight hours for ten days. The 48-hour Ranson score, 24-hour acute physiology and chronic heath evaluation Ⅱ score, and incidence rates of complications were observed. The concentrations of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) on days 1, 3, 7 and 10 were measured, and strains of infection were detected with smear and culture examination for bacteria and fungi.
Results

There were no statistical differences in demographic information, baseline data and incidence rates of complications between the two groups (P>0.05), but fungal infection rate in the control group was higher than that in the treatment group (P<0.05). There were no statistical differences in infection rates of G ^– and G ⁺ germs between the two groups; blood and some organs including lung, pancreas, intestine, and urethra were infected with bacteria and fungi. There were also no significant differences in the serum CRP concentrations on days 1, 3, 7 and 10 between the two groups (P>0.05), but the serum CRP concentrations on days 1, 3, 7 and 10 in infected patients were higher than those in non-infected patients (P<0.05, P<0.01).
Conclusion

The study cannot confirm that the incidence rates of secondary infection and mortality in SAP patients treated with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine are reduced by prophylaxis with imipenem-cilastatin.

Key words: Acute pancreatitis, Antibiotics, Infection, Randomized controlled trial