Reduction of secretion from a small-bowel fistula by somatostatin. Case report.

A 69-year-old man with intra-abdominal abscesses and small-bowel fistula after total gastrectomy received two 12-hour continuous i.v. infusions of somatostatin (250 micrograms/h) with a 24-hour interval. Secretion through the fistula decreased markedly during the infusion, with rebound rise after its discontinuation. The concentration of bilirubin in the secretion, but not that of amylase, also fell during somatostatin infusion.