OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the clinical effect of diclofenac administered as a single dose for the prevention of postprocedure pancreatitis in a consecutive series of patients who had undergone endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).

METHODS: Patients with a native papilla Vateri subjected to ERCP during 2010 (control group, n = 218) and 2012 (diclofenac group, n = 182) were included. Patients with a history of chronic pancreatitis or recent acute pancreatitis were excluded. From January 2012, a rectal suppository containing 100 mg of diclofenac was administered immediately after endoscopy in all patients. The primary outcome of post-ERCP pancreatitis was assessed retrospectively by reviewing the patients' charts.

RESULTS: The overall incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis was 32 (14.7%) of the 218 patients in the control group and 9 (4.9%) of the 182 patients in the diclofenac group (P = 0.002). Moderate to severe pancreatitis occurred in 22 (10.1%) of the 218 patients in the control group versus 8 (4.4%) of the 182 patients in the diclofenac group (P = 0.036).

CONCLUSIONS: This controlled cohort study suggests that the implementation of a single dose of 100 mg of diclofenac rectally administered significantly reduces the incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis in an unselected material of patients with native papilla.