Molecular Analysis of Microbial DNA in Infected Necrotizing Pancreatitis

Necrotizing pancreatitis is a severe form of inflammation of the pancreas with subsequent
destruction of the pancreas (necrosis). Often, this condition manifests in patients as an
overwhelming systemic inflammatory response and multisystem organ failure. Many times the
pancreas can become superinfected with bacteria and other organisms as a result of this
process. Clinicians may decide to sample fluid from the pancreas or pancreatic tissue to
determine the presence of infection. This can be done through surgery with a concurrent
debridement and drainage of the pancreas or by a radiologist using an ultrasound or CT
guided method to sample the pancreatic fluid. These samples are then sent for culture in
the microbiology laboratory. Culture results often reveal 1-2 types of infecting bacteria
that originate from the gastrointestinal tract. The investigators hypothesize that in
actuality, many different kinds of bacteria may infect the pancreas. This project uses
molecular DNA techniques to help identify bacteria present in the pancreas of patients with
severe necrotizing pancreatitis.