Ranitidine may modify the biochemical disturbance in hypertrophic pyloric stenosis

Is there any benefit with pantoprazole treatment in infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis?

CONTEXT

Previous studies demonstrated faster correction of metabolic derangement associated with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis with pre-operative intravenous (IV) histamine-2 receptor antagonists.

AIMS

We investigated if similar outcomes are achieved with IV pantoprazole, a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI), including the subgroup of delayed presenters in the South African setting.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN

A 5-year retrospective record review (January 2014-December 2018) compared the rate of metabolic correction in patients with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis at two tertiary centres.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

One centre routinely administers IV pantoprazole (1 mg/kg daily) preoperatively (PPI group) and the other does not (non-PPI group). Fluid administration, chloride supplementation and post-operative emesis were evaluated.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to calculate statistical significance for discrete dependent variables. Continuous variables were compared between the groups using the Student t-test. Fisher's exact contingency tables were used to classify categorical data and to assess the significance of outcome between two treatment options. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Forty-two patients received IV pantoprazole and 24 did not. The mean time of metabolic correction was 8 h shorter in the PPI group (P = 0.067). Total pre-operative chloride administration correlated to the rate of metabolic correction in both cohorts (P < 0.0001). Profound hypochloraemia (chloride <85 mmol/l) was corrected 23 h faster in the PPI group (P < 0.004). Post-operative emesis was noted: 0.45 episodes/patient in the PPI group and 0.75 episodes/patient in the non-PPI group (P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Pre-operative IV pantoprazole administration showed a faster correction of metabolic derangements, and in profound hypochloraemia, the correction occurred substantially faster in the PPI group. Post-operative emesis was significantly less frequent in the PPI group.

Brief Overview and Updates on Infantile Hypertrophic Pyloric Stenosis: Focus on Perioperative Management

Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis is the most common surgical cause of vomiting in infancy. After adequate resuscitation, surgical pyloromyotomy is the standard of care for infants with pyloric stenosis. This article provides a brief overview and updates on hypertrophic pyloric stenosis in infants, with a focus on the surgical approach as well as perioperative management of this pathology. The most controversial aspect of the management of infants with pyloric stenosis is post-pyloromyotomy feeding, as there is no clear consensus in the literature on the best regimen. More randomized controlled trials are needed to establish the optimal resuscitation protocol in the preoperative phase and the ideal feeding regimen in the postoperative phase for infants with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. [Pediatr Ann. 2021;50:(3):e136-e141.].

Pyloric stenosis of Infancy, primary hyperacidity and Occam's razor

An account is given of the process by which the Primary Hyperacidity pathogenesis of Pyloric Stenosis of Infancy (PS) evolved. The initial discovery that fasting gastrins were high at birth and continued to rise within the first 4 days was the starting point. Since acidity was also rising at the same time it was proposed that the usual negative feed-back between gastrin and stomach acidity was not mature in the first few weeks of life. The gastrin model for producing PS in puppy dogs was a further incentive to believe that relatively high gastrins, and secondary high acidity would thereby repeatedly cause sphincter contraction and lead to hypertrophy. When gastrin was found to be normal in PS babies we considered and accepted, the less complicated hypothesis that a Primary Inherited Hyperacidity itself was the driving force. Such a theory explained nearly all the clinical features. When we further considered the expected consequences of an initially ineffective negative feed -back and its later maturation, the known peak acidity in neonatal development was explained. This phenomenon also provided an explanation for the remaining previously unexplained time sensitive features of the condition.