Timing of Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Acute Pancreatitis: A Controlled Randomized Study with Meropenem

OBJECTIVES Antibiotic prophylaxis improves the outcome of acute pancreatitis. Since bacterial translocation from the gut occurs in the first h of disease, early therapy is likely to achieve the maximal effect. The study compares early antibiotic treatment with treatment started after the demonstration of pancreatic necrosis. METHODS Two hundred fifteen patients with pancreatitis were randomized to either group A (N = 108), who started antibiotic...