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A Randomized Controlled Trial on EGBD vs PC for Acute Cholecystitis.

Endosonography-guided Gallbladder Drainage (EGBD) Versus Percutaneous Cholecystostomy (PC) in Patients Suffering From Acute Cholecystitis That Are Unsuitable for Surgery. A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 2Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02212717
Acronym
DRAC
Enrollment
60
Registered
2014-08-08
Start date
2014-08-31
Completion date
2019-03-31
Last updated
2019-07-30

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Acute Cholecystitis

Keywords

Acute cholecystitis, EUS-guided gallbladder drainage, Percutaneous cholecystostomy

Brief summary

Acute cholecystitis commonly occurs in elderly patients that are high-risk candidates for surgery. Percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) is frequently employed for gallbladder drainage in these patients. Recently, the feasibility of EUS-guided gallbladder drainage (EGBD) in treatment of this condition has been demonstrated but how the two procedures compare to one another is uncertain. The aim of this study is to compare EGBD versus PC as a definitive treatment, in high-risk patients suffering from acute cholecystitis in a randomized controlled trial. We hypothesize that EGBD can reduce the morbidity, re-intervention and mortality when compared to PC.

Interventions

The gallbladder would be identified by a linear echoendoscope (EUS) and a suitable puncture site in the stomach or the duodenum without intervening blood vessels would be located. The gallbladder would be punctured with a 19-gauge needle and a guidewire would be passed through the needle and looped in the gallbladder. The Hot AXIOS stent would then be inserted. A naso-gallbladder drain or a 5-7Fr double pigtail stents can be inserted into gallbladder if the effluent failed to clear after irrigation. This would be performed to improve drainage and avoid obstruction of the stent.

PROCEDUREPercutaneous cholecystostomy (PC)

Trained interventional radiologists in the respective hospitals would perform the procedure under local anesthesia. A transhepatic route would be used in all patients to decrease bile leakage. An 8.5 Fr pigtail drainage catheter would be placed between the 8th or 9th intercostal space under sonographic and fluoroscopic guidance. The pigtail catheter would be drained to a bedside bag.

Sponsors

Chinese University of Hong Kong
Lead SponsorOTHER
American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
CollaboratorOTHER
Tokyo Medical University
CollaboratorOTHER
Kinki University
CollaboratorOTHER
University of Barcelona
CollaboratorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Consecutive patients aged ≥ 18 years old admitted for acute cholecystitis but are unsuitable for early laparoscopic cholecystectomy due to poor premorbid conditions including: American society of anesthesiology grading ≥ 3, APACHE score ≥ 12, limited life expectancy (less than 2 years) or deemed unsuitable for general anesthesia would be included. * Written informed consent from patient or guardian who is able to understand the nature and possible consequences of the study

Exclusion criteria

* Pregnancy * Patients unwilling to undergo follow-up assessments * Patients with suspected gangrene or perforation of the gallbladder * Patients diagnosed with concomitant liver abscess or pancreatitis (defined as elevated serum amylase more than three times the upper limit of normal) * Altered anatomy of the upper gastrointestinal tract due to surgery of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum * Patients with liver cirrhosis, portal hypertension and/or gastric varices * Abnormal coagulation: INR \> 1.5 and/or platelets \< 50.000/mm3 * Previous drainage of the gallbladder

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
Overall morbidities1 years

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Pain scores7 daysPain assessment would be performed using the visual-analogue scale (1 to 100) on post-procedural days 1 to 7.
Analgesic requirements7 daysThe amount of analgesic consumed during admission will be recorded and compared between groups. Oral panadol and intravenous tramadol (or equivalent) would be provided as required to patients.
Stone clearance rates1 yearsThe presence or absence of gallstones after 1 years would be assessed by abdominal ultrasonography
Technical success30 daysTechnical success is defined as the ability to access and drain the gallbladder by placement of a drainage tube or stent.
Reintervention rate1 yearThe number of patients requiring biliary related re-interventions within 1 year
Re-admission rate1 yearThe number of patients requiring hospital re-admissions due to biliary related events
Clinical success30 daysClinical success is obtained when the patient is afebrile and had more than 20% decrease in white cell counts.

Countries

China, Japan, Spain

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 18, 2026