Risk Factors for Life-threatening Grade C Postoperative Pancreatic Fistula After Pancreatoduodenectomy Compared to Grade B.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to investigate risk factors for the development of grade C compared to grade B cases of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinicopathological data from 43 patients who developed grade B or C POPF were retrospectively analyzed. The following types of factors were analyzed: Patient-related, surgery-related, and pancreas-related, including the value of the drain amylase and the detection of gram-negative rod bacteria within the first 7 postoperative days (PODs). RESULTS: Univariate analysis showed that male sex (p=0.0492) and detection of gram-negative rods within the first 7 PODs (p=0.0010) were risk factors for development of grade C POPF. Only detection of gram-negative rods within the first 7 PODs was a significant factor after multivariate analysis (p=0.0027). CONCLUSION: Sensitive and specific predictive criteria for early detection of grade C POPF should be developed to allow for a management approach appropriately tailored to this condition.