[Acute pancreatitis. Early elective endoscopic intervention].

Early endoscopic intervention is required in the treatment of biliary pancreatitis in the presence of cholangitis or jaundice, possibly with dilated common bile duct. Also patients with predicted severe disease, lack of spontaneous clinical improvement or progressive jaundice might benefit from endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with sphincterotomy. If endoscopy is indicated, it should be performed as soon as possible. Injection of contrast medium into a dilated bile duct is accompanied by the risk of cholangitis. Therefore therapeutic decompression by sphincterotomy and stone extraction is necessary, or, if this is not possible, insertion of a naso-biliary tube for drainage. Prophylactic use of antibiotics is recommended periinterventionally. Early endoscopic intervention is not necessary in patients with mild biliary pancreatitis and spontaneous clinical improvement. Here, ERCP can be performed later, if indicated.