Early endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in acute gallstone pancreatitis without cholangitis
Best Practice Guidance
Summary
Early endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for acute gallstone pancreatitis without cholangitis is not recommended.
This guidance applies to adults aged 19 years and over.
Recommendation
Early ERCP in the treatment of acute gallstone pancreatitis, should only be performed if there is evidence of cholangitis or obstructive jaundice with imaging evidence of a stone in the common bile duct. Early ERCP refers to ERCP being performed on the same admission, ideally within 24 hours.
Rationale for recommendation
Gallstones are the most common cause of pancreatitis, causing up to 50% of cases. ERCP should be reserved for patients in whom therapeutic intervention is likely because ERCP is a very invasive procedure and carries a morbidity of 5-10% and a mortality rate of 0.1%- 0.5%. Risks associated with ERCP include risks of endoscopy and specific risks associated with ERCP, including pancreatitis, cholangitis, bleeding, and retroduodenal perforation.
ERCP is recommended for severe acute gallstone pancreatitis, dilatation of the common bile duct on imaging, jaundice, cholangitis or persistently abnormal and rising liver enzymes or if clinical deterioration occurs in patients with mild signs at presentation but who fail to improve after 48 hours.
Early ERCP for acute pancreatitis without cholangitis has been shown to have a higher mortality rate and is of little benefit in comparison to delayed ERCP.
Many gallstones are passed spontaneously.
Patient information
There is no specific EBI patient guidance for this intervention.
However, we recommend using the BRAN principles (Benfits, Risks, Alternatives and do Nothing) when speaking with patients about this.
Further information on patient involvement in EBI can be found on the EBI for patients section.
Coding
Estimated activity
- 308 episodes during 2018/19
- Age/sex std rate per 100,000 – 0.5
- Reduction opportunity based on 25th percentile of activity across CCGs: not calculated.
- Variation (age/sex std rates):
- N-fold – 7.2
- 10th percentile – 0.2
- 25th percentile – 0.4
- 50th percentile – 0.6
- 90th percentile – 1.5
Codes
Procedure codes
J43.1 Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and biopsy of lesion of ampulla of Vater
J43.2 Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and biopsy of lesion of biliary or pancreatic system NEC
J43.3 Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and collection of bile
J43.8 Other specified diagnostic endoscopic retrograde examination of bile duct and pancreatic duct
J43.9 Unspecified diagnostic endoscopic retrograde examination of bile duct and pancreatic duct
Diagnosis codes
K85.1 Biliary acute pancreatitis
Any other criteria (e.g. patient age)
The procedure occurs within the first 3 days of admission
Adult >= 19 years
Will the procedure be carried out in OP or as APC?
Admitted Patient Care
Coding logic
Where the procedure code in any position is:
J43.1 OR
J43.2 OR
J43.3 OR
J43.8 OR
J43.9
AND
Diagnosis code in any position is:
K85.1
AND
The procedure date is 3 days or fewer after the admission
date.
AND
The patient age is >= 19 years
SQL code
-- APCS Procedure WHERE 1=1 -- Main Procedure AND apcs.[Der_Procedure_All] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' --Diagnosis AND (APCs.[Der_Diagnosis_All] LIKE '%K851%') -- With no APCE Procedure within 30 days AND ( CASE WHEN apcep.[Primary_Procedure_Code] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Primary_Procedure_Date])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_2] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_2])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_3] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_3])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_4] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_4])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_5] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_5])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_6] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_6])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_7] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_7])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_8] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_8])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_9] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_9])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_10] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_10])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_11] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_11])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_12] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_12])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_13] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_13])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_14] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_14])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_15] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_15])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_16] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_16])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_17] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_17])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_18] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_18])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_19] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_19])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_20] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_20])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_21] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_21])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_22] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_22])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_23] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_23])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END + CASE WHEN apcep.[Procedure_Code_24] LIKE '%J43[12389]%' AND datediff(dd,apcs.Admission_Date,[Procedure_Date_24])<=3 THEN 1 ELSE 0 END )>0
Global cancer exclusion
APC WHERE 1=1 -- Cancer Diagnosis Exclusion AND (apcs.der_diagnosis_all not like '%C[0-9][0-9]%' AND apcs.der_diagnosis_all not like '%D0%' AND apcs.der_diagnosis_all not like '%D3[789]%' AND apcs.der_diagnosis_all not like '%D4[012345678]%' OR apcs.der_diagnosis_all IS NULL)
Additional Exclusions
-- Private Appointment Exclusion AND apcs.Administrative_Category<>'02'
References
- What is ERCP? (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography) Patient leaflet.
- Tse F, YuanY. Early routine endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography strategy versus early conservative management strategy in acute gallstone pancreatitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2012:(5)CD009779.
- NICE guideline (2018) Pancreatitis [NG104].
- Schuster k, Holena D, salim A, savage S, crandall M, american association for the surgery of trauma emergency surgery guideline summaries: 2018, acute appendicitis, acute cholecysttis, acute diveritculis, acute pancreatitis, and small bowel obstruction. Trauam surg acute care open. 2019; 4: e000281.
- Uy MC, Daez ML,Sy PP,Banez VP,Espinosa WZ, Talingdan-Te MC. Early ERCP in acute gallstone pancreatitis without cholangitis: a meta-analysis. JOP 2009; 10: 299–305.
- Michael F Byrne, Gallstone pancreatitis – who really needs an ERCP? Can J Gastroenterol. 2006 Jan; 20(1): 15–17.PMCID: PMC2538962. PMID: 16432554.
- Malik HT, Marti J, Darzi A, Mossialos E. Savings from reducing low-value general surgical interventions. Br J Surg. 2018 Jan;105(1):13-25. doi:10.1002/bjs.10719
How up to date is this information?
August 2022
Changes
August 2022 - Coding updated