Objective: To study the effect of lower-molecular weight heparin in the prevention of pancreatic encephalopathy (PE) in the patient with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).
Methods: Two hundred sixty-five SAP patients were randomly divided into 2 groups: (1) conventional treatment group (C group, n = 130) and (2) conventional treatment plus lower-molecular weight heparin treatment group (LT group, n = 135). The clinical parameters, laboratory parameters and computed tomographic (CT) score of pancreatic necrosis (CTSPN), incidence of PE, and mortality in the 2 groups were compared.
Results: On admission, all the clinical parameters, laboratory parameters, and CTSPN in the 2 groups were not significantly different (P > 0.05). However, 1 to 2 weeks after treatment, the symptoms and signs improvement rate, the levels of blood and urine amylase, the CT score, and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score in the LT group were obviously lower than those in the C group (P < 0.05-0.01), and PE occurrence rate, mortality, and mean hospital stay in LT group were obviously lower than those in the C group (P < 0.05-0.01).
Conclusions: Lower-molecular weight heparin can enhance the effect of conventional treatment of SAP and can markedly decrease the PE incidence and improve the survival rate of SAP. Lower-molecular weight heparin is a simple, safe, less expensive, and effective method for treatment of SAP. It can be used in every hospital.