Abstract: Objective To study the applied value and duration of somatostatin in the treatment of tuberculous ileus.  Methods Seventy-eight patients with tuberculous ileus from Public Health Clinical Medical Center of Chengdu City, China from January 2009 to August 2013 were divided into 42 cases in treatment group and 36 cases in control group. The cases in control group received conventional conservative therapy combined with anti-tuberculosis (TB) therapy (Regular anti-TB treatment, fasting, continuous gastrointestinal decompression, maintain water electrolyte and acid-base balance, etc.). The cases in treatment group received somatostatin therapy on the basis of the control group (24 hours continuous intravenous infusion of somatostatin). The patients were observed the improvement of abdominal pain, abdominal distension, the time of anal independent exhaust, and X-ray changes before and after treatment.  Results In treatment group, 34 cases (81.0%, 34/42) were effective, and 8 cases (19.0%，8/42) were invalid. In control group, 20 cases (55.6%，20/36) were effective, and 16 cases (44.4%，16/36) were ineffective. The efficiency of the treatment group was significantly higher than the control group (χ²=5.870, P<0.05). Compared with conventional therapy, somatostatin therapy of treatment group significantly shortened the time of alleviating abdominal pain and distension ((3.60±1.33)d vs (4.47±1.61)d, t=2.636, P<0.05), anal independent exhaust ((5.95±1.51)d vs (7.19±1.90)d, t=3.218, P<0.05), X-ray sign recovery ((10.40±2.64)d vs (13.36±4.29)d, t=3.720, P<0.05). The effective rates of using somatostatin for 3 days, 7 days, and 10 days in treatment group were 40.5%（17/42）, 59.5%（25/42）, and 81.0%（34/42）, respectively. Three days, 7 days, and 10 days of somatostatin therapy increased 40.5%（17/42）, 32.0%（8/25）, and 52.9%（9/17）significant efficiencies, respectively. There were statistical significance among the increased efficiencies for 3 days, 7 days, and 10 days of somatostatin therapy (χ²=5.536, P=0.019; χ²=13.432, P=0.000).  Conclusion Somatostatin used in treatment of tuberculous ileus can get satisfactory curative effect. Somatostatin using 10 days can still significantly improve the efficiency.

Key words: Tuberculosis, gastrointestinal, Intestinal obstruction, Somatostatin