Objective: To assess the effect of intensive insulin therapy on outcomes of patients with severe acute pancreatitis.

Methods: Relevant literatures cited in these electronic databases: Medline, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database, and Excerpta Medical database (Embase) were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in which intensive insulin therapy was used in severe acute pancreatitis. Length of hospitalization, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, incidence of complications, and adverse effects were recorded for statistical analysis. The methodological quality of the eligible studies was assessed by Jadad scale. The results were analysed by Revman 4.3 software.

Results: Three studies, which included a total of 118 cases, were finally reviewed. The methodological quality of the trials varied substantially. In patients with severe acute pancreatitis, intensive insulin therapy was associated with shorter length of hospitalization (weighted mean difference (WMD) = -12.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) [-15.48,8.78], p > 0.00001) and lower APACHE II score after 72 hours treatment (WMD = -3.80, 95% CI [-4.88,2.72], p > 0.00001). One study reported insulin-related adverse event.

Conclusion: In patients with severe acute pancreatitis, intensive insulin therapy could relieve the patient’s condition earlier and shorten the length of hospitalization without serious adverse effect.