Comorbidities, sphincterotomy, and balloon dilation predict post-ERCP adverse events in PSC patients: operator experience is protective.

BACKGROUND: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic cholestatic disease. Interventional ERCP improves survival in PSC patients.

AIMS: To describe the frequency and risk factors for post-ERCP adverse events in patients with PSC via multivariate analysis.

METHODS: Retrospective cohort study included patients with a diagnosis of PSC who underwent ERCP at academic institutions between February 2000 and October 2009. Demographis, co-morbid conditions, antibiotic use, cannulation method, ERCP maneuvers and 30-day post-ERCP adverse events were collected. Multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression.

RESULTS: A total of 185 procedures were performed on 75 PSC patients (58 M,17 F). Seven endoscopists performed ERCPs. Comorbidies included ulcerative colitis (44%, n = 33), Crohn's disease (12%, n = 9 patients), Cirrhosis (8%, n = 6 patients) and autoimmune hepatitis (2.7%, n = 2). Cannulation was achieved using dye-free guidewire cannulation techniques in 139/185 procedures (76%) and with contrast-based techniques in 46/185 procedures (24%). Thirty-day post-ERCP adverse events included post-ERCP pancreatitis (5%, n = 9, cholangitis (1%, n = 2), acute cholecystitis (0.5%, n = 1), stent occlusion (0.5%, n = 1), stent migration (0.5%, n = 1), and bile leak (0.5%, n = 1). In the multivariate analysis, associations with specific endoscopists who performed the procedure (P = 0.01), biliary dilation (P = 0.02), sphincterotomy (P = 0.03), presence of cirrhosis (P = 0.05), Crohn's disease (P < 0.001), and autoimmune hepatitis (P < 0.001) significantly predicted a complication following ERCP. Gender, stenting during procedure, presence of a dominant stricture, and cholangitis were not predictive for post-ERCP adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS: Factors predicting 30-day post-ERCP adverse events included certain co-morbid conditions, the endoscopist ERCP volume, maneuvers during ERCP including dilation and sphincterotomy. Stenting was not associated with adverse events.