Study population
cholangitis
RECRUITMENT, CHOLANGITIS
From January 2018 to December 2019, 269 patients from 14 hospitals were screened for eligibility (CONSORT flowchart).A total of 42 patients were excluded from the study. Of these, 18 refused to participate in the study. The nine patients did not meet the inclusion criteria. The 13 patients received antipyretics or antibiotics prior to hospitalization and two were diagnosed with type I BA. Within 3 days of starting initial empiric treatment, 16 patients switched to a different antibiotic and dropped out of the study: 11 switched from CSTS to MEPM, 3 to quinolones, IVIG was added to MEPM in 2 patients. The reasons for changing antibiotics were as follows: no initial rapid reduction in WBC and CRP (2, 12.5%), clinical deterioration (6, 37.5%), and antibacterial susceptibility testing (8, 50.0%).The remaining 211 patients were enrolled in the study. Of the 211 eligible patients, 67 were considered to have mild cholangitis, 90 had moderate cholangitis and 54 had severe cholangitis. A flowchart of participant eligibility and recruitment is provided in the CONSORT flowchart.
Table Baseline characteristics of the patients.AFC, age at first cholangitis; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; CRP, C-reactive protein; CSTS, cefoperazone sodium tazobactam sodium; DBIL, direct bilirubin; IQR, interquartile range; IVIG, intravenous immunoglobulin; KPE, Kasai portoenterostomy; MEPM, Meropenem; T, temperature; WBC, white blood cell; γ-GT, gamma-glutamyl transferase.Median age was compared using Mann–Whitney test; Age at operation and DBIL were compared using independent samples Baseline characteristics were balanced between the two subgroups in each group. In the mild cholangitis group, the mean age at KPE was 55.50 (IQR: 46.00–71.00) days in the CSTS group and 55.00 (IQR: 49.00–64.00) days in the MEPM group (