Biomaterial Database

Glucagon therapy in acute pancreatitis: prospective randomized double-blind study. 1980

H T Debas, and R J Hancock, and P Soon-Shiong, and H A Smythe, and M M Cassim

The known suppressive actions of glucagon on the secretion of pancreatic enzymes and of gastric acid, and the reported effectiveness of glucagon in treating acute pancreatitis, prompted the authors to carry out a prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial of this hormone. Sixty-six patients with acute pancreatitis admitted to the surgical service of the Vancouver General Hospital were randomized into two groups of 33, receiving either glucagon or placebo in addition to their conventional therapy. The two groups were comparable with respect to the cause of the pancreatitis and the severity of the disease. Glucagon did not reduce the patients' analgesic requirements or the duration of abdominal signs, ileus, hyperamylasemia or hospital stay. Of the 66 patients, 4 died. Three of these were in the group receiving glucagon. The authors conclude that, contrary to theoretical expectations and the results of past uncontrolled trials, glucagon has no beneficial effect on the clinical course or outcome of acute pancreatitis, irrespective of the etiology or severity of the disease.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010195	Pancreatitis	INFLAMMATION of the PANCREAS. Pancreatitis is classified as acute unless there are computed tomographic or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographic findings of CHRONIC PANCREATITIS (International Symposium on Acute Pancreatitis, Atlanta, 1992). The two most common forms of acute pancreatitis are ALCOHOLIC PANCREATITIS and gallstone pancreatitis.	Acute Edematous Pancreatitis,Acute Pancreatitis,Pancreatic Parenchyma with Edema,Pancreatic Parenchymal Edema,Pancreatitis, Acute,Pancreatitis, Acute Edematous,Peripancreatic Fat Necrosis,Acute Edematous Pancreatitides,Acute Pancreatitides,Edema, Pancreatic Parenchymal,Edematous Pancreatitides, Acute,Edematous Pancreatitis, Acute,Fat Necrosis, Peripancreatic,Necrosis, Peripancreatic Fat,Pancreatic Parenchymal Edemas,Pancreatitides, Acute,Pancreatitides, Acute Edematous,Parenchymal Edema, Pancreatic,Peripancreatic Fat Necroses
D001786	Blood Glucose	Glucose in blood.	Blood Sugar,Glucose, Blood,Sugar, Blood
D002986	Clinical Trials as Topic	Works about pre-planned studies of the safety, efficacy, or optimum dosage schedule (if appropriate) of one or more diagnostic, therapeutic, or prophylactic drugs, devices, or techniques selected according to predetermined criteria of eligibility and observed for predefined evidence of favorable and unfavorable effects. This concept includes clinical trials conducted both in the U.S. and in other countries.	Clinical Trial as Topic
D004311	Double-Blind Method	A method of studying a drug or procedure in which both the subjects and investigators are kept unaware of who is actually getting which specific treatment.	Double-Masked Study,Double-Blind Study,Double-Masked Method,Double Blind Method,Double Blind Study,Double Masked Method,Double Masked Study,Double-Blind Methods,Double-Blind Studies,Double-Masked Methods,Double-Masked Studies,Method, Double-Blind,Method, Double-Masked,Methods, Double-Blind,Methods, Double-Masked,Studies, Double-Blind,Studies, Double-Masked,Study, Double-Blind,Study, Double-Masked
D005260	Female		Females
D005934	Glucagon	A 29-amino acid pancreatic peptide derived from proglucagon which is also the precursor of intestinal GLUCAGON-LIKE PEPTIDES. Glucagon is secreted by PANCREATIC ALPHA CELLS and plays an important role in regulation of BLOOD GLUCOSE concentration, ketone metabolism, and several other biochemical and physiological processes. (From Gilman et al., Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 9th ed, p1511)	Glucagon (1-29),Glukagon,HG-Factor,Hyperglycemic-Glycogenolytic Factor,Proglucagon (33-61),HG Factor,Hyperglycemic Glycogenolytic Factor
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000208	Acute Disease	Disease having a short and relatively severe course.	Acute Diseases,Disease, Acute,Diseases, Acute