The results of our study further contribute to the assessment of risk factors for complications related to ERCP/ES. It is crucial to identify high risk patients to reduce complications of the procedures.

The main questions still debated relating to the diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic procedures involving Vater's papilla (ERCP) are post-procedure pancreatitis and its prevention. Acute post-ERCP pancreatitis is still the most frequent and feared complication. A recent review of prospective series found a mean prevalence of 5.2% after diagnostic procedures and 4.1% after therapeutic procedures. 1 However, in recent prospective studies in non-selected cases the rate of this complication has been reported to range widely, from 1.3% to 7.6%. 2±9 The varying SUMMARYBackground: Pharmacological prophylaxis of post-ERCP pancreatitis is costly and not useful in most non-selected patients, in whom the incidence of pancreatitis is 5% or less. However, it could be useful and probably costeffective, in patients at high risk for this complication, where the post-procedure pancreatitis rate is 10% and more. Aim: To assess the ef®cacy of octreotide in reducing the incidence and severity of post-ERCP pancreatitis and procedure-related hospital stay, in subjects with known patient-related risk factors. Methods: A total of 120 patients were randomly allocated to receive octreotide or not, in a multicentre, randomized, controlled trial. The drug was given subcutaneously, 200 lg t.d.s., starting 24 h before the ERCP procedure, in patients with either sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, or a history of relapsing pancreatitis

The chlorite ion is an unavoidable by-product of the disinfection of drinking water by means of chlorine dioxide. The maximum concentration values of chlorite accepted in many countries' regulations range from 0.2 to 1.0 mg L(-1). A simple, inexpensive and quickly set up voltammetric procedure for the on-site determination of chlorite in drinking water networks is described. This procedure is suitable for the whole range of applications in drinking water plants. A useful cell for on-field analysis has been developed. Surface morphology and behaviour of carbon-based working electrodes have been investigated by voltammetry and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Actual samples of different types of water networks have been analysed for chlorite concentration.

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