Pediatric Acute Pancreatitis: Changes in Management and Disease Outcomes Over 16 Years

Analgesia in paediatric acute pancreatitis: A scoping systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common paediatric condition, yet there is little data to support optimal analgesic practice. The aim of this scoping review was to report analgesic practice, investigate trends in analgesic strategy and evaluate the impact of analgesic modality on outcomes.

METHODS

A systematic search of Medline, Embase, CENTRAL, Pubmed Central and Google Scholar was performed by two independent investigators. This review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist.

RESULTS

Three retrospective cohort studies, all conducted in North America, reported on analgesic practice in paediatric AP. The studies included 658 patients (median age, 12 years; female sex, 57%; non-biliary aetiology, 85.9%). Overall, analgesia was administered in 67% of patients, including opioids in 59.5% (43.8%-71.4%). Rates of acetaminophen (17.9% and 77.7%) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (7.7% and 40.2%) were reported in two studies. Two studies reported reducing rates of opioid administration or reduced duration of opioid administration since 2017 and 2014, respectively. One study did not find any correlation between opioid administration and sociodemographic factors, length of stay or admission to intensive care units. No studies reported on complications or quality of life. No studies investigated non-medical modalities. There were no long-term data on analgesic use post-discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

Opioids are the mainstay of pain treatment in paediatric AP in North America. However, factors that influence the analgesic type, the impact of analgesic modality on the post-pancreatitis outcome and long-term analgesic use constitute a knowledge gap. Future studies are needed to inform analgesic use in paediatric AP.

A Retrospective Review of Children followed up with the Diagnosis of Acute Pancreatitis

BACKGROUND

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory disease of the pancreas, the frequency of which increases in childhood.

AIM

To investigate the demographic, etiological, clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics of children followed up with the diagnosis of AP. The study also included genetic studies of recurrent cases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included pediatric patients <18 years of age with AP who were followed up with recurrent pancreatitis in the Pediatrics Department of a University Hospital between January 2010 and April 2021. Patients who met at least 2 of the 3 criteria defined by the International Pediatric Pancreatitis Study Group (INSPPIRE) were accepted as AP. Demographic, etiological, and clinical data of the patients, developing complications, pathological evaluation of the samples, and genetic analysis results were obtained from the patient files. The obtained data were statistically analyzed using the SPSS version 26.0 program. Descriptive statistics of the data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation, median, minimum and maximum values, number (n), and percentage (%). Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Mann Whitney U test, Chi-square test and Fischer test were used.

RESULTS

Fifty-four (50%) female and 54 (50%) male patients with a mean age of 9.96 ± 4.8 years who met the study criteria were included in the study. In the follow-up, it was reported that acute recurrent pancreatitis developed in 23 (21%) patients and chronic pancreatitis developed in 8 (7%) patients. The most common complaints were abdominal pain (94.4%), and vomiting (60.2%), followed by malnutrition (36.1%), nausea (17.6%), diarrhea (13%), and fever (13%). Etiology could not be determined in 19.4% of the patients. It was noted that the genetic predisposition of the patients played a role in the development of recurrent and chronic pancreatitis. Amylase, lipase, and CRP values, which are among the laboratory parameters showing the severity and prognosis of AP, were found to be significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Sociocultural and demographic data of the patients should also be taken into account. Gene sequences that cause to genetic predisposition should be determined in recurrent and chronic pancreatitis cases. Acute pancreatitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with frequent abdominal pain and vomiting.

[Clinical characteristics and prognosis of acute pancreatitis in children]

OBJECTIVES

To study the clinical characteristics of acute pancreatitis (AP) in children.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on the children with AP who were hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to June 2022, and their clinical characteristics were summarized and analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 92 children with AP were included, with a male/female ratio of 1:1 and a mean age of (9±4) years. Adolescents (34%, 31/92) and pre-school children (33%, 30/92) were more commonly affected, while infants and toddlers (7%, 6/92) were less commonly affected. The etiology of the disease from most to least was as follows: drug-induced (40%, 37/92), biliary (18%, 17/92), dietary (14%, 13/92), idiopathic (13%, 12/92), trauma-related (9%, 8/92), and infectious (5%, 5/92). Mild, moderate, and severe AP accounted for 68% (63/92), 21% (19/92), and 11% (10/92), respectively. Among all 92 children, 62 (67%) received abdominal ultrasound, with a positive rate of 66% (41/62); 67 (73%) underwent abdominal CT, with a positive rate of 90% (60/67); 20 (22%) underwent magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), with a positive rate of 95% (19/20). There were significant differences in the levels of D-dimer, procalcitonin, and amylase among children with different degrees of severity of the condition (P<0.05), and there were significant differences in the levels of leukocyte count, hematocrit, blood urea nitrogen, albumin, and blood calcium among children with different etiologies (P<0.05). Of all 92 children, 89 (97%) had a good prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The primary cause of pediatric AP is medication-induced, with a predominantce of mild cases. Abdominal CT has a high rate of utilization and positivity in the diagnosis of pediatric AP, while MRCP has the highest specificity among imaging techniques. Laboratory tests aid in determining the severity and etiology of AP. The prognosis of AP is favorable in children.

The Asociación Mexicana de Gastroenterología consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of acute pancreatitis in children and adolescents

Acute pancreatitis (AP) and recurrent acute pancreatitis (RAP) are conditions, whose incidence is apparently on the rise. Despite the ever-increasing evidence regarding the management of AP in children and adults, therapeutic actions that could potentially affect having a poor prognosis in those patients, especially in the pediatric population, continue to be carried out. Therefore, the Asociación Mexicana de Gastroenterología convened a group of 24 expert pediatric gastroenterologists from different institutions and areas of Mexico, as well as 2 pediatric nutritionists and 2 specialists in pediatric surgery, to discuss different aspects of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of AP and RAP in the pediatric population. The aim of this document is to present the consensus results. Different AP topics were addressed by 6 working groups, each of which reviewed the information and formulated statements considered pertinent for each module, on themes involving recommendations and points of debate, concerning diagnostic or therapeutic approaches. All the statements were presented and discussed. They were then evaluated through a Delphi process, with electronic and anonymous voting, to determine the level of agreement on the statements. A total of 29 statements were formulated, all of which reached above 75% agreement in the first round of voting.

Analgesic Patterns and Opioid Administration in Children Hospitalized With Acute Pancreatitis

BACKGROUND

Pain is the most common symptom of acute pancreatitis (AP), and opioids have been utilized as the cornerstone of treatment. Despite the adverse effects of opioids, data on effective analgesia in children with AP is lacking. We aimed to evaluate analgesia prescribing patterns in pediatric AP, identify factors associated with opioid administration, and test the associations between opioid administration and hospital length of stay (LOS).

METHODS

This is a retrospective cohort study of pediatric AP hospitalizations in a single institution from 2010 to 2020. Opioid administration was calculated for the first 48 hours of admission (morphine milligram equivalent; MME48). Data on multimodal analgesia [defined as the administration of acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)] during hospitalization was captured.

RESULTS

The sample included 224 patients, mean age 12.0 years (standard deviation = 4.9) and 58.9% female. Median LOS was 4 days (interquartile range 2-9). Most patients (71.4%) were prescribed opioids, 77.7% acetaminophen, 40.2% NSAIDs, and 37.5% multimodal analgesia. Opioid administration decreased over the study period; in contrast, there was an increase in multimodal analgesia administration. Opioid administration did not differ by sex, age, biliary versus non-biliary etiology, or race/ethnicity. In a multivariate regression model, lower albumin values ( P < 0.01) and younger age ( P < 0.05) were significant predictors of increased LOS, while MME48 was not associated with increased LOS.

CONCLUSIONS

Opioids were commonly administered; only 37.5% of children were administered multimodal analgesia during their hospitalization for AP. Opioid administration was not associated with increased LOS. Prospective studies are needed to determine optimal pain management for pediatric AP.

Historical Review of Acute Pancreatitis Research Over the Last 80 Years

OBJECTIVES

Research on acute pancreatitis (AP) has been ongoing for a long time. It is necessary to summarize and investigate the history of AP research.

METHODS

Publications related to AP research were retrieved from PubMed. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms, countries, journals, and publication dates were analyzed. Co-occurrence analysis was conducted to illustrate the holistic trend in AP research. A dynamic bar graph, heat maps, and line charts were created to illustrate change trends of MeSH terms.

RESULTS

In total, 28,222 publications with 8558 MeSH terms were retrieved from 1941 to 2020. Among these, 16,575 publications with 7228 MeSH terms were from 2001 to 2020. The top 10 MeSH terms showed a considerable change from 1941 to 1970 but remained stable since the 1970s. Four clusters obtained from the co-occurrence analysis were "experiments on animals," "diagnosis and treatment," "prognosis and expectation," and "protein and enzyme." From 1941 to 2020, 33 MeSH terms with increasing trends (MH-I) and 15 MeSH terms with decreasing trends (MH-D) were selected to create a heat map (every decade). Meanwhile, 16 MH-I and 41 MH-D were selected to create the heat map from 2001 to 2020 (every 2 years).

CONCLUSION

Over the past 80 years, the pathogenesis, treatment, risk management, and experimental model were the main research highlights. Optimal supportive management, minimally invasive treatment, and prediction of prognosis are subjects of interest for clinical practitioners; signal transduction to identify a target for precise treatment is the focus of experimental research in AP.

Admission risk factors and predictors of moderate or severe pediatric acute pancreatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Pediatric acute pancreatitis (PAP) has an increasing incidence and is now estimated to be almost as common as in adults. Up to 30% of patients with PAP will develop moderate or severe disease course (M/SPAP), characterized by organ failure, local or systemic complications. There is still no consensus regarding on-admission severity prediction in these patients. Our aim was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of available predictive score systems and parameters, and differences between on-admission parameters in mild and M/SPAP.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic search on the 14th February, 2022 in MEDLINE, Embase and CENTRAL. We performed random-effects meta-analysis of on-admission differences between mild and M/SPAP in laboratory parameters, etiology, demographic factors, etc. calculating risk ratios (RR) or mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and created forest plots. For the meta-analysis of predictive score systems, we generated hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curves using a bivariate model. Chi-squared tests were performed and I2 values calculated to assess statistical heterogeneity.

RESULTS

We included 44 studies - mostly retrospective cohorts - in our review. Among predictive score systems examined by at least 5 studies, the modified Glasgow scale had the highest specificity (91.5% for values ≥3), and the Pediatric Acute Pancreatitis Severity score the highest sensitivity (63.1% for values ≥3). The performance of other proposed score systems and values were summarized. Traumatic (RR: 1.70 95% CI: 1.09-2.67) and drug-induced (RR: 1.33 95% CI: 0.98-1.87) etiologies were associated with a higher rate of M/SPAP, while anatomical (RR: 0.6195% CI: 0.38-0.96) and biliary (RR: 0.72 95% CI: 0.53-0.99) PAP tended to be less severe.

DISCUSSION

Many predictive score systems were proposed to assess the possibility of M/SPAP course. The most commonly used ones exhibit good specificity, but subpar sensitivity. Our systematic review provides a rigorous overview of predictive options assessed thus far, that can serve as a basis for future improvement of scores via the addition of parameters with a better observed sensitivity: e.g., lipase exceeding 7-times the upper threshold, hemoglobin, etc. The addition of etiological factors is another possibility, as they can herald a more severe disease course.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=307271, PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42022307271.

Nasogastric or nasojejunal feeding in pediatric acute pancreatitis: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to compare nasogastric (NG) feeding with nasojejunal (NJ) feeding when treating pediatric patients with acute pancreatitis (AP).

METHODS

We performed a single-center, prospective, randomized, active-controlled trial involving 77 pediatric patients with AP from April 2014 to December 2017. The patients were randomized into two groups: the NG tube feeding group (34 patients) and the NJ tube feeding group (33 patients). The primary outcome measures included the enteral nutrition intolerance, the length of tube feeding time, the recurrent pain of pancreatitis and complications.

RESULTS

A total of 62 patients with AP (31 patients for each group) came into the final analysis. No differences were found in baseline characteristics, pediatric AP score and computed tomography severity score between the two groups. Three (9.7%) patients in the NG group and one (3.2%) patient in the NJ group developed intolerance (relative risk = 3.00, 95% confidence interval 0.33-27.29, P = 0.612). The tube feeding time and length of hospital stay of the NG group were significantly shorter than those of the NJ group (P = 0.016 and 0.027, respectively). No patient died in the trial. No significant differences were found in recurrent pain, complications, nutrition delivery efficacy, and side effects between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

NG tube feeding appears to be effective and safe for acute pediatric pancreatitis compared with NJ tube feeding. In addition, high qualified, large sample sized, randomized controlled trials in pediatric population are needed.