Parit Mekaroonkamol from Emory University: Is ERCP Safe for Pediatric Patients?

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a common procedure in adult patients, but a recent study looked at whether the procedure was safe for younger patients and whether it provided the same level of efficacy.

Parit Mekaroonkamol, MD, Emory University School of Medicine, said the results of pediatric application of ERCP would be matched against the adult cohorts, including looking at the complexity of the procedures between the two age groups during Digestive Disease Week in San Diego.

Mekaroonkamol said they found no difference in primary outcomes, such as technical success rate, clinical success rate, and complications rate. “There were also no differences in the technical aspects of the procedures,” he said, such as equipment used and length of time for the procedure. Even when studying a cohort that would require a more complex procedure, the results were similar, he said.

The research is important because it is a growing field, even though the use of ERCP is used less in pediatrics than in adults, he said. However, the field of advance pediatric gastroenterology could use the results as a milestone to set certification for training.

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