Retrospective Multicenter Matched Controlled Comparison of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography in Pediatric Patients, A 10-year Experience

INTRODUCTION: This study was designed to evaluate outcomes in pediatric patients undergoing ERCP as compared to an ASGE complexity grade-matched adult cohort. METHOD: In this retrospective case-control study, ERCPs performed in pediatric patients from January 2008 to December 2018 in two tertiary referral hospitals were compared with a complexity matched adult control group with similar procedural indications. Primary outcomes included the clinical success rate, technical success rate, and complication rate. Secondary outcomes included post-procedural admission rates, mode of sedation, procedure time, fluoroscopy time, hospitalization length, and the number of repeat procedures. RESULTS: 232 ERCPs performed in 110 pediatric patients (average age 13.3) and 318 ERCPs performed in 160 ASGE grade-matched adult controls (average age 47.2 years) were analyzed. All procedures were therapeutic. There was no difference in the technical success rate (P - 0.2), clinical success rate (P - 0.5), complication rates (P - 0.1), and fluoroscopy time (P - 0.4), between the pediatric and adult cohorts. General anesthesia use and length of stay were significantly higher in the pediatric group (P - 0.0001). In subgroup analysis, technical (P - 0.2) & clinical success (P - 0.2) as well as complication rates (P - 0.6) were comparable between patients