Effect of Octreotide in Reducing the Serum Amylase and Lipase Levels on Patients with Acute Pancreatitis

A randomized controlled trial has been conducted to evaluate the role of octreotide in reducing serum amylase and lipase in patients admitted with acute pancreatitis. 100 patients with acute pancreatitis were selected for the study and the effect of sub-cutaneous octreotide was looked into in reducing the serum levels of the enzymes, amylase and lipase. Out of these 100 cases, 56 patients had acute biliary pancreatitis, 33 patients had acute alcoholic pancreatitis and 8 patients had idiopathic pancreatitis. There were 2 patients with biliary helminthiasis presenting with acute pancreatitis and 1 patient presented with acute pancreatitis following trauma. Serum amylase and lipase was recorded in all patients on admission. Octreotide (100 micrograms x 3) was given subcutaneously to 50 patients selected randomly along with conventional treatment (Group A) and other 50 patients were given only conventional treatment (Group B) irrespective of their aetiology, age, sex and severity. Serum amylase and lipase was again measured after 48 hours of admission. The change in the level of serum amylase and lipase was calculated in both Group A and Group B and statistical significance was determined. In our study those patients who received octreotide, i.e., Group A had a reduction of serum amylase by 82% and serum lipase by 70% whereas those patients who did not receive octreotide, i.e., Group B had a reduction of serum amylase by 73% and serum lipase by 59%. This difference between Group A and Group B was found to be statistically significant for both serum amylase (p=0.0028) and serum lipase (p=0.0437) by T-test and (p=0.00798 and p= 0.0437) by Mann-Whitney U test respectively.