ObjectiveTo systematically review the efficacy and safety of early abdominal paracentesis drainage (APD) in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). MethodsThe PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, WanFang Data, and VIP databases were searched to collect randomized controlled trials and cohort studies on the management of SAP via early APD from inception to December 10, 2022. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies. Meta-analysis was then performed using RevMan 5.4 software and Stata 17.0 software. ResultsEighteen studies were included, with a total sample size of 2 685 patients. The meta-analysis showed that early APD could decrease mortality (OR=0.49, 95%CI 0.35 to 0.69, P<0.01) and the incidences of multiple organ failure (OR=0.56, 95%CI 0.45 to 0.71, P<0.01), ARDS (OR=0.54, 95%CI 0.41 to 0.71, P<0.01), and infectious complications (OR=0.72, 95%CI 0.57 to 0.92, P<0.01) and also reduce the need for further interventions and the total cost incurred during hospitalization, reduce the length of hospital stay, and reduce the number of days spent in the intensive care unit. However, there were no significant differences in the incidence of pneumonia, bacteremia, and sepsis between the two groups. ConclusionThe treatment of SAP via early APD, which has high clinical value, could decrease the incidence of multiple organ failure, improve the prognosis of patients, and reduce the associated mortality rate. Moreover, APD does not increase the risk of infection-related complications. Due to the limited quantity and quality of the included studies, more high-quality studies are needed to verify the above conclusion.