Abstract
We retrospectively investigated the effects of guidelines when treating acute cholecystitis and cholangitis, by comparing results before and after the guidelines were established. Between October 2002 and September, 2008, 125 patients with acute cholangitis or/and cholecystitis underwent treatment in our institution. In patients with acute cholecystitis, a decrease in the number of days could be seen in the following : period from drainage to operation (11→2 days, P= 0.00015), period for referral from physician to surgeon (23→2 days, P=0.019), period from onset to operation (14→4 days, P=0.00078), postoperative hospital stay (10→6.5 days, P=0.00078), total hospital stay (25→9.5 days, P=0.0044), in addition to an increase in the early cholecystectomy rate (15→50%, P=0.00061). In patients with acute cholangitis, an increase in drainage rate (44→89%, P=0.0044) was found, and cases successfully treated endoscopically resulted in a shorter hospital stay (41→15.5 days, P=0.045). Suitable therapies were promptly performed according to the guidelines, which shortened the hospital stay for patients with acute cholangitis and cholecystitis.
