Mortality following acute pancreatitis: social deprivation, hospital size and time of admission: record linkage study

Investigation of the Association of Acute Pancreatitis Outcomes with Social Vulnerability Indicators

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Geospatial analyses integrate location-based sociodemographic data, offering a promising approach to investigate the impact of social determinants on acute pancreatitis outcomes. This study aimed to examine the association of Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and its constituent 16 attributes in 4 domains (socioeconomic status, household composition and disability, minority status and language, and housing type and transportation), with outcomes in patients with acute pancreatitis.

METHODS

This study included acute pancreatitis patients hospitalized between 1/1/2008 and 12/31/2021 and recorded their demographics and clinical outcomes. Physical addresses were geocoded to determine SVI, a composite variable which was ranked and divided into quartiles (I-IV: IV representing the highest vulnerability).

RESULT

In 824 eligible patients [age of 53.0 ± 10 years and 48.2% females], with 993 acute pancreatitis-related hospitalizations, we noted a significant association in patients residing in communities with higher SVI, a higher prevalence of no/federal/state insurance (P < .001) and underserved ethnic/racial background (P < .001). We observed a significant association of alcohol withdrawal in patients with residence in areas with higher SVI despite adjustment for age, body mass index, and comorbidities (odds ratios: 1.62 [95% CI: 1.19-2.22]; P = .003). However, we observed no association of SVI with severity of acute pancreatitis, inpatient opioid use, length of stay, 30-day admission rate, and mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

We noted significantly higher alcohol withdrawal in patients residing in areas with higher SVI ranks, despite no differences in severity of acute pancreatitis, inpatient opioid use, length of stay, 30-day admission rate, and mortality.

Comparison of Harmless Acute Pancreatitis Score (HAPS) and Bedside Index of Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP) Scoring Systems in Predicting Severity and Outcomes in Acute Pancreatitis: A Prospective Study

Introduction Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common yet severe digestive disorder characterized by sudden inflammation of the pancreas, resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality. Although the underlying causes of AP are multifactorial, gallstones and alcohol abuse remain the most prevalent triggers. The first 24 hours are critical in determining a patient's risk of complications and outcomes. Various scoring systems, including the Bedside Index of Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP) and the Harmless Acute Pancreatitis Score (HAPS), have been developed to predict disease severity and guide clinical management. This study compares the performance of these two scoring systems in predicting severe cases of AP. Materials and methods A prospective, hospital-based study was conducted over two years at Maharaja Agrasen Hospital, New Delhi, India, enrolling 102 patients diagnosed with AP. Patients' clinical data, including demographic details, laboratory parameters, and imaging findings, were collected, and both BISAP and HAPS scores were calculated. The primary objective was to compare the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive performance of the two scores in forecasting clinical outcomes, including pancreatic necrosis, organ failure, and mortality. Results Among 102 participants, BISAP demonstrated 100% sensitivity and specificity for mortality prediction. However, the cohort exhibited an exceptionally high mortality rate (82.3%) and complication burden (pancreatic necrosis: 85.3%; organ failure: 80.4%), likely reflecting referral bias in this tertiary care population. HAPS showed higher overall accuracy (65.7% vs. 62.7%), suggesting complementary roles in risk stratification. Caution is warranted when generalizing BISAP's performance to lower-risk cohorts. Discussion This study highlights the predictive value of both BISAP and HAPS in assessing the severity of AP. BISAP demonstrated higher specificity, making it useful for identifying severe cases, while HAPS exhibited better sensitivity and overall accuracy, particularly for predicting pancreatic necrosis. These results suggest that both scores are valuable tools for early identification and risk stratification in AP, though their complementary use may provide the most effective clinical guidance. Further research may be needed to incorporate additional biomarkers to improve diagnostic accuracy. Conclusion Both BISAP and HAPS scoring systems serve as useful tools in predicting the severity of AP, with BISAP excelling in specificity and HAPS in sensitivity. Future clinical protocols may benefit from combining these tools to optimize early detection and management of severe AP cases.

Idiopathic acute pancreatitis (IAP)-a review of the literature and algorithm proposed for the diagnostic work-up of IAP

Background and Objective

This narrative review addresses idiopathic acute pancreatitis (IAP) and its epidemiology, diagnosis, clinical course and treatment during the last decade. As there is no previously validated protocol for finding the aetiology of acute pancreatitis (AP), the primary aim of this study is to find, describe and unify evidence about the diagnostic work-up of AP to diagnose the true IAP. By finding the aetiology with the highest possible yield it may be possible to reduce recurrent AP (RAP) episodes and related morbidity and thereby decrease health care costs and possibly improve patients' quality of life.

Methods

This narrative review includes articles retrieved from PubMed search with publications from 2013-2023. Cross references were used when found relevant.

Key Content and Findings

The rates of aetiologies of AP and the diagnostics performed behind these numbers vary widely between different studies, time periods and different geographical regions, as there is no unified algorithm in diagnostic work-up of IAP. In this study, we describe an up-to-date summary of epidemiology, diagnostic course and treatment of IAP, and propose an algorithm of IAP diagnostics in light of recent scientific studies and their outcomes and address possible treatments of IAP.

Conclusions

Although aetiology is key for AP management, there is still no validated protocol for aetiological diagnosis. IAP is relevant due to its recurrence rate and possible evolution to chronic pancreatitis. We still need more studies addressing this topic and evaluating new diagnostic protocols with advanced tests and treatment strategies in true IAP.

The Prevalence of Simultaneously Ordering Amylase and Lipase for Diagnosing Pancreatitis

Background

The simultaneous measurement of serum amylase and lipase levels in the diagnosis of pancreatitis was deemed unnecessary in several studies. We aim at evaluating the prevalence of the simultaneous co-ordering of serum amylase and lipase.

Methods

This retrospective chart review was conducted at King Saud University Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between January 2021 and January 2022. We examined requests for serum amylase or serum lipase levels that had been sought for suspected pancreatitis within the electronic health system (EHS).

Results

A total of 9,617 requests for serum amylase and serum lipase levels for 5,536 patients were made in a year; 6,873 (71.5%) were made for serum lipase alone; 1,672 (17.4%) were made for co-ordered serum lipase and amylase; 322 (3.3%) were made for amylase alone; and 750 (7.8%) were made for repeated amylase testing. Four hundred and thirteen tests (4.3%) yielded a diagnosis of pancreatitis. The estimated cost reduction when serum amylase was removed if serum lipase was co-ordered was 108,680 SAR (approximately US$28,960).

Conclusion

Serum amylase and lipase were co-ordered for about 17.4% of pancreatitis diagnostic tests, all of which were unnecessary. Eliminating serum amylase testing for any patient who receives a test of their lipase levels would exert a significant impact on institutional costs and savings.

Social deprivation does not impact on acute pancreatitis severity and mortality: a single-centre study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The incidence of acute pancreatitis (AP) is increasing in the UK. Patients with severe AP require a significant amount of resources to support them during their admission. The ability to predict which patients will develop multiorgan dysfunction remains poor leading to a delay in the identification of these patients and a window of opportunity for early intervention is missed. Social deprivation has been linked with increased mortality across surgical specialties. Its role in predicting mortality in patients with AP remains unclear but would allow high-risk patients to be identified early and to focus resources on high-risk populations.

METHODS

A prospectively collected single-centre database was analysed. English Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) was calculated based on postcode. Patients were grouped according to their English IMD quintile. Outcomes measured included all-cause mortality, Intestive care unit (ITU) admission, overall length of stay (LOS) and local pancreatitis-specific complications.

RESULTS

398 patients with AP between 2018 and 2021 were identified. There were significantly more patients with AP in Q1 (IMD 1-2) compared with Q5 (IMD 9-10) (156 vs 38, p<0.001). Patients who were resident in the most deprived areas were significantly younger (52.4 in Q1 vs 65.2 in Q5, p<0.001), and more often smokers (39.1% in Q1 vs 23.7% in Q5, p=0.044) with IHD (95.0% vs 92.1% in Q5, p<0.001). In multivariate modelling, there was no significance difference in pancreatitis-related complications, number of ITU visits, number of organs supported and overall, LOS by IMD quintile.

CONCLUSIONS

Although there was a significantly higher number of patients admitted to our unit with AP from the most socially deprived quintiles, there was no correlation between social economic deprivation and mortality following AP.

[Socioeconomic impact of the current management of severe biliary acute pancreatitis: comparative study]

OBJETIVE

Acute pancreatitis of biliary origin is a common gastrointestinal pathology, in which timely management still is the most important. The aims of this research is establish the socioeconomic impact in the current management of severe acute pancreatitis of biliary origin comparing two centers of the third level, one of high socioeconomic population and another of low in Bogotá, Colombia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective, cross-sectional comparative study was conducted between January 2012 and December 2017, in two hospitals of Bogotá DC. We evaluated their socioeconomic characteristics, gender, time of evolution at the time of consultation, Marshall score, ICU stay, hospital stay, complications, surgical management and mortality.

RESULTS

101 patients from two different socioeconomic strata (high and low) were analyzed, where a 10 times higher risk of requiring a surgical procedure in the group of patients with low stratum was found, as well as a higher mortality compared with those of high stratum. (11.3% Vs 4.2%). There were also more complications in the low socioeconomic group with respect to the high, as in the exocrine failure (81.1% vs 31.3%) and the compartment syndrome (35.8% vs 4.2%).

CONCLUSION

There is greater morbidity and mortality in patients of low socioeconomic status in the context of this pathology. This study can guide new research that increases the clarity of the socioeconomic impact on the outcomes of severe acute pancreatitis.

Systematic Review: Impact of Social Determinants of Health on the Management and Prognosis of Gallstone Disease

Background:

Due to its prevalence, gallstone disease is a major public health issue. It affects diverse patient populations across various socioeconomic levels. Socioeconomic and geographic deprivation may impact both morbidity and mortality associated with digestive diseases, such as biliary tract disease.

Aim:

The aim of this systematic review was to review the available data on the impact of socioeconomic determinants and geographic factors on gallstone disease and its complications.

Methods:

This systematic review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The MEDLINE and Web of Science databases were searched by two investigators to retrieve studies about the impact of income, insurance status, hospital status, education level, living areas, and deprivation indices on gallstone disease. Thirty-seven studies were selected for this review.

Results:

Socially disadvantaged populations appear to be more frequently affected by complicated or severe forms of gallstone disease. The prognosis of biliary tract disease is poor in these populations regardless of patient status, and increased morbidity and mortality were observed for acute cholangitis or subsequent cholecystectomy. Limited or delayed access and low-quality therapeutic interventions could be among the potential causes for this poor prognosis.

Conclusions:

This systematic review suggests that socioeconomic determinants impact the management of gallstone disease. Enhanced knowledge of these parameters could contribute to improved public health policies to manage these diseases.

Current epidemiological trends and in-hospital mortality of acute pancreatitis in Germany: a systematic analysis of standardized hospital discharge data between 2008 and 2017

BACKGROUND

Acute pancreatitis (AP) represents a common gastrointestinal disorder. Complicated disease courses in particular still represent a major clinical challenge and are associated with high mortality. Evaluation of existing data sets and their careful interpretation can support a rational discussion to optimize outcomes of this common gastrointestinal disease.

METHODS

We used standardized hospital discharge data provided by the Federal Statistical Office of Germany to evaluate hospital mortality and current developments of AP in Germany between 2008 and 2017.

RESULTS

In this analysis, 516,618 hospitalized AP cases were included. Main disease etiologies featured biliary (29.9%) and alcoholic (22.7%) AP. The annual frequency of AP increased from 48,858 (2008) to 52,611 (2017), mainly due to a rising incidence of biliary AP. Average hospital mortality was 2.85% and significantly improved over time. While uncomplicated AP had low hospital mortality (1.38%), the presence of organ complications was associated with a mortality of 12.34%. The necessity of mechanical ventilation dramatically increased hospital mortality to 44.06%. Hospital mortality was significantly higher in female patients (3.31%) than males (2.55%) and showed a stepwise increase with patient age. We further identified type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity as factors associated with increased hospital mortality. Hospital mortality was lowest among patients treated at departments specializing in gastroenterology. Finally, high case volume centers (defined as >98 annual AP cases) had the lowest hospital mortality for patients with complicated courses of AP.

CONCLUSION

With over 50,000 annual hospitalization cases, AP is one of the most important inpatient treatment indications in gastroenterology in Germany. Overall, AP mortality has improved in recent years, presumably due to improved interdisciplinary treatment concepts. In this study, we identified important clinical and epidemiological risk factors for an unfavorable course, which could help to improve risk prediction and triaging, and thus the management of AP.

Patient-reported outcomes after minimally invasive retroperitoneal pancreatic necrosectomy to treat acute pancreatitis: An exploratory study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study (abbreviated as QUANTUM) was to assess the quality of life (QoL) of patients who underwent minimally invasive retroperitoneal pancreatic necrosectomy (MIRPN) for acute pancreatic necrosis with or without infection of necrotic tissue collections after discharge and to compare the patient-reported outcomes (PRO) in these patients with published data in normative population.

METHODS

Patients with acute pancreatitis who underwent MIRPN between January 2010 and December 2016 were identified and invited to complete the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 and EORTC PAN28(CP) questionnaires. PRO were compared using Pearson correlation coefficient and ANOVA (significance P < 0.01) with an age- and sex-matched normative population of western Europe, stratified by age, and also the time duration after MIRPN (<3 y and >3 y). A change >15 points in the PRO score was taken as clinically important.

RESULTS

Among 52 eligible patients identified, 46 (88%) agreed to participate, 74% returned questionnaires. After the MIRPN all patients had worse physical and social functioning scores with a clinically important (>15 points) reduction in those ≤50 years; while fatigue, pain and insomnia symptom scales had the highest scores (42, 26 and 30 points, respectively). Patients <3 years after MIRPN had similar scores for all functional scales and global health-related quality of life (HRQoL) compared to the normative population. However, over time their global HRQoL deteriorated and after 3 years their scores for functioning and symptoms were statistically (P < 0.0001) and clinically (>15 points) worse than those in age-matched controls.

CONCLUSIONS

During the first 3 years after the MIRPN patients have a relatively high QoL but report worse fatigue than the normative population. However, patients should be informed that their HRQoL deteriorates with time, often due to chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic insufficiency. This study supports the use of MIRPN and prospective studies of HRQoL in this setting are indicated.

The global, regional, and national burden of acute pancreatitis in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019

BACKGROUND

Acute pancreatitis is a common and potentially lethal gastrointestinal disease, but literatures for the disease burden are scarce for many countries. Understanding the current burden of acute pancreatitis and the different trends across various countries is essential for formulating effective preventive intervenes. We aimed to report the incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) caused by acute pancreatitis in 204 countries and territories between 1990 and 2019.

METHODS

Estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (GBD 2019) were used to analyze the epidemiology of acute pancreatitis at the global, regional, and national levels. We also reported the correlation between development status and acute pancreatitis' age-standardized DALY rates, and calculated DALYs attributable to alcohol etiology that had evidence of causation with acute pancreatitis. All of the estimates were shown as counts and age-standardized rates per 100,000 person-years.

RESULTS

There were 2,814,972.3 (95% UI 2,414,361.3-3,293,591.8) incident cases of acute pancreatitis occurred in 2019 globally; 1,273,955.2 (1,098,304.6-1,478,594.1) in women and 1,541,017.1 (1,307,264.4-1,814,454.3) in men. The global age-standardized incidence rate declined from 37.9/100,000 to 34.8/100,000 during 1990-2019, an annual decrease of 8.4% (5.9-10.4%). In 2019, there were 115,053.2 (104,304.4-128,173.4) deaths and 3,641,105.7 (3,282,952.5-4,026,948.1) DALYs due to acute pancreatitis. The global age-standardized mortality rate decreased by 17.2% (6.6-27.1%) annually from 1.7/100,000 in 1990 to 1.4/100,000 in 2019; over the same period, the age-standardized DALY rate declined by 17.6% (7.8-27.0%) annually. There were substantial differences in the incidence, mortality and DALYs across regions. Alcohol etiology attributed to a sizable fraction of acute pancreatitis-related deaths, especially in the high and high-middle SDI regions.

CONCLUSION

Substantial variation existed in the burden of acute pancreatitis worldwide, and the overall burden remains high with aging population. Geographically targeted considerations are needed to tailor future intervenes to relieve the burden of acute pancreatitis in specific countries, especially for Eastern Europe.

Acute pancreatitis in the older patient: Is a new risk score required?

INTRODUCTION

The average age of the surgical patient in the UK is increasing. Frailty and cognitive impairment have been shown to be important risk factors in elderly patients with surgical pathology. Limited work has previously assessed the outcomes of acute pancreatitis in the elderly population and the usefulness of current severity scoring methods. We aimed to assess the mortality rates in this cohort and identify any factors that may influence patient outcome.

METHODS

All patients ≥ 80 years admitted with acute pancreatitis between 1 January 2014 and 31 May 2018 were retrospectively identified. Disease severity scores were measured by a modified Ranson score, and patients' co-morbidities were quantified with the Charlson Comorbidity Index. Primary endpoint was whether the patient was alive at discharge; multilevel logistic regression was used to identify any independent risk factors for patient outcomes.

RESULTS

Eighty-seven patients were included, with an average age of 86 years. The most common aetiology was gallstones. Nine patients died during admission, and ITU admission was the only predictor of mortality (p = 0.027). Twenty-three patients had died by one year. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was more common in patients with gallstone disease who were alive at one year (p = 0.029).

DISCUSSION

Risk severity and co-morbidity scores are not predictive of outcomes in elderly patients with acute pancreatitis. The use of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography should be considered in elderly patients with acute gallstone pancreatitis where suitable. Further work is needed to identify improved mortality prediction tools in the elderly with acute pancreatitis and optimal management strategies.

Serum phosphate is associated with mortality among patients admitted to ICU for acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Routine laboratory tests can be useful predictors in the early assessment of the severity and mortality of acute pancreatitis (AP). The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of clinical and laboratory parameters for the prediction of mortality among patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for AP.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital made publicly available to examine the relationship between routine clinical and laboratory parameters with respect to mortality for AP. Cox proportional hazard ratio was used to evaluate the impact of several routine laboratory markers on mortality. Receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curve was performed to determine the accuracy of diagnosis of laboratory tests by using area under curve (AUC) for the respective analysis.

RESULTS

In total, 499 patients were admitted to the ICU for AP. Several factors for predicting mortality in AP at admission were identified in the multivariate analysis: alkaline phosphatase hazard ratio (HR) = 1.00 (1.00-1.00, p = 0.024), anion gap HR = 1.09 (1.00-1.20, p = 0.047), bilirubin total HR = 1.11 (1.06-1.17, p < 0.001), calcium total HR = 0.59 (0.42-0.84, p = 0.004), phosphate HR = 1.51 (1.18-1.94, p = 0.001), potassium HR = 1.91 (1.03-3.55, p = 0.041), white blood cells HR = 1.04 (1.00-1.07, p = 0.028). The AUC of serum phosphate level for mortality was 0.7 in the ROC analysis. The optimal cut-off value of serum phosphate level for prediction of mortality was 3.78 mg/dl (sensitivity, 0.58; specificity, 0.78).

CONCLUSION

In this large cohort, we identified baseline serum phosphate as the most valuable single routine laboratory test for predicting mortality in AP. Future prospective studies are required to confirm these results.

Assessment of the course of acute pancreatitis in the light of aetiology: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The main causes of acute pancreatitis (AP) are biliary disease, alcohol consumption, hypertriglyceridaemia (HTG) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of these aetiological factors on the severity and outcome of AP. Pubmed and Embase were searched between 01/01/2012 and 31/05/2020. Included articles involved adult alcoholic, biliary, HTG- or post-ERCP AP (PAP) patients. Primary outcome was severity, secondary outcomes were organ failures, intensive care unit admission, recurrence rate, pancreatic necrosis, mortality, length of hospital stay, pseudocyst, fluid collection and systematic inflammatory response syndrome. Data were analysed from 127 eligible studies. The risk for non-mild (moderately severe and severe) condition was the highest in HTG-induced AP (HTG-AP) followed by alcoholic AP (AAP), biliary AP (BAP) and PAP. Recurrence rate was significantly lower among BAP vs. HTG-AP or AAP patients (OR = 2.69 and 2.98, 95% CI 1.55-4.65 and 2.22-4.01, respectively). Mortality rate was significantly greater in HTG-AP vs. AAP or BAP (OR = 1.72 and 1.50, 95% CI 1.04-2.84 and 0.96-2.35, respectively), pancreatic necrosis occurred more frequently in AAP than BAP patients (OR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.08-2.30). Overall, there is a potential association between aetiology and the development and course of AP. HTG-AP is associated with the highest number of complications. Furthermore, AAP is likely to be more severe than BAP or PAP. Greater emphasis should be placed on determining aetiology on admission.

Acute pancreatitis in Chile: A multicenter study on epidemiology, etiology and clinical outcome. Retrospective analysis of clinical files

BACKGROUND

Epidemiology of acute pancreatitis (AP) is variable in different geographical regions.

OBJECTIVES

To compare etiology and severity of AP to published data from South America and the rest of world, study impact of demographical factors and treatment on its outcome in Chilean hospitals.

METHODS

Multicenter observational study. Data of consecutive patients with AP were collected at the moment of discharge from 11 centers and retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

Data of 962 patients were included in the analysis, 447 men and 515 women. Mean age was 48,2 years. Biliary etiology was significantly more frequent in women (70%) than in men (52%). Conversely, alcohol was responsible for about 17% of AP in men but exceptional in women. Mild AP was seen in 73.4%, moderately severe in 14.1% and severe in 13%. The overall mortality was 2.5% (24 of 962): 0.3%, 3.1% and 15.1% in mild, moderately severe and severe cases, respectively. No difference was found in the mortality and severity of biliary versus alcoholic AP, while hypertriglyceridemia induced AP was more severe, without increased mortality. Severity and mortality increased with age. ERCP was performed in 16% of biliary pancreatitis. Adherence to main guidelines was heterogeneous: more than half of mild AP patients were admitted to critical care units and antibiotics were used in about 25% them.

CONCLUSION

This is the first multicenter study in Chile on AP. When compared to literature, we found similar severity distribution and an acceptably low mortality. Biliary etiology was dominant, but alcohol was also important in men.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the aetiology of acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND

Gallstones and alcohol are currently the most frequent aetiologies of acute pancreatitis (AP). The aim of this study is to quantify these aetiologies worldwide, by geographic region and by diagnostic method.

METHODS

A systematic review of observational studies published from January 2006 to October 2017 was performed. The studies provided objective criteria for establishing the diagnosis and aetiology of AP for at least biliary and alcoholic causes. A random-effects meta-analysis was used to assess the frequency of biliary (ABP), alcoholic (AAP) and idiopathic AP (IAP) worldwide and to perform 6 subgroup analyses: 2 compared diagnostic methods for AP aetiology and the other 4 compared geographic regions.

RESULTS

Forty-six studies representing 2,341,007 patients of AP in 36 countries were included. The global estimate of proportion (95% CI) of aetiologies was 42 (39-44)% for ABP, 21 (17-25)% for AAP and 18 (15-22)% for IAP. In studies that used discharge code diagnoses and in those from the US, IAP was the most frequent aetiology. ABP was more frequent in Latin America than in other regions.

CONCLUSION

Gallstones represent the main aetiology of AP globally, and this aetiology is twice as frequent as the second most common aetiology.

Survival and new-onset morbidity after critical care admission for acute pancreatitis in Scotland: a national electronic healthcare record linkage cohort study

INTRODUCTION

Severe acute pancreatitis (AP) requiring critical care admission (ccAP) impacts negatively on long-term survival.

OBJECTIVE

To document organ-specific new morbidity and identify risk factors associated with premature mortality after an episode of ccAP.

DESIGN

Cohort study.

SETTING

Electronic healthcare registries in Scotland.

PARTICIPANTS

The ccAP cohort included 1471 patients admitted to critical care with AP between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2010 followed up until 31 December 2014. The population cohort included 3450 individuals from the general population of Scotland frequency-matched for age, sex and social deprivation.

METHODS

Record linkage of routinely collected electronic health data with population matching.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Patient demographics, comorbidity (Charlson Comorbidity Index), acute physiology, organ support and other critical care data were linked to records of mortality (death certificate data) and new-onset morbidity. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to identify risk factors associated with mortality.

RESULTS

310 patients with AP died during the index admission. Outcomes were not ascertained for five patients, and the deprivation quintile was not known for six patients. 340 of 1150 patients in the resulting postdischarge ccAP cohort died during the follow-up period. Greater comorbidity measured by the Charlson score, prior to ccAP, negatively influenced survival in the hospital and after discharge. The odds of developing new-onset diabetes mellitus after ccAP compared with the general population were 10.70 (95% CI 5.74 to 19.94). A new diagnosis of myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, liver disease, peptic ulcer, renal failure, cancer, peripheral vascular disease and lung disease was more frequent in the ccAP cohort than in the general population.

CONCLUSIONS

The persistent deleterious impact of severe AP on long-term outcome and survival is multifactorial in origin, influenced by pre-existing patient characteristics and acute episode features. Further mechanistic and epidemiological investigation is warranted.

The weekend effect: does hospital mortality differ by day of the week? A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The concept of a weekend effect, poorer outcomes for patients admitted to hospitals at the weekend is not new, but is the focus of debate in England. Many studies have been published which consider outcomes for patients on admitted at the weekend. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to estimate the effect of weekend admission on mortality in UK hospitals.

METHODS

This is a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies on the weekend effect in UK hospitals. We used EMBASE, MEDLINE, HMIC, Cochrane, Web of Science and Scopus to search for relevant papers. We included systematic reviews, randomised controlled trials and observational studies) on patients admitted to hospital in the UK and published after 2001. Our outcome was death; studies reporting mortality were included. Reviewers identified studies, extracted data and assessed the quality of the evidence, independently and in duplicate. Discrepancy in assessment was considered by a third reviewer. All meta-analyses were performed using a random-effects meta-regression to incorporate the heterogeneity into the weighting.

RESULTS

Forty five articles were included in the qualitative synthesis. 53% of the articles concluded that outcomes for patients either undergoing surgery or admitted at the weekend were worse. We included 39 in the meta-analysis which contributed 50 separate analyses. We found an overall effect of 1.07 [odds ratio (OR)] (95%CI:1.03-1.12), suggesting that patients admitted at the weekend had higher odds of mortality than those admitted during the week. Sub-group analyses suggest that the weekend effect remained when measures of case mix severity were included in the models (OR:1.06 95%CI:1.02-1.10), but that the weekend effect was not significant when clinical registry data was used (OR:1.03 95%CI: 0.98-1.09). Heterogeneity was high, which may affect generalisability.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite high levels of heterogeneity, we found evidence of a weekend effect in the UK, even after accounting for severity of disease. Further work is required to examine other potential explanations for the "weekend effect" such as staffing levels and other organisational factors.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews -registration number: CRD42016041225 .

Interleukin-6 significantly improves predictive value of systemic inflammatory response syndrome for predicting severe acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND

Predicting severe acute pancreatitis (AP) is important for triage, prognosis, and designing therapeutic trials. Persistent systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) predicts severe AP but its diagnostic accuracy is suboptimal. Our objective was to study if cytokine levels could improve the predictive value of clinical variables for the development of severe AP.

METHODS

Consecutive patients with AP were included in a prospective cohort study at a tertiary care center. Serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, IL-10, MCP-1, GM-CSF and IL-1β were measured at day 3 of onset of AP. Variables such as age, co-morbidity, etiology, SIRS, and cytokines were modeled to predict severe AP by multivariable regression analysis. Genotyping was done to correlate IL-6, TNF-α and MCP-1 gene polymorphisms with cytokine levels.

RESULTS

Of 236 patients with AP, 115 patients admitted within 7 days of onset formed the study group. 37 of the 115 (32%) patients developed organ failure. Independent predictors of organ failure were persistent SIRS (OR 34; 95% CI: 7.2-159) and day 3 serum IL-6 of >160 pg/ml (OR 16.1; 95% CI:1.8-142). IL-6 gene (-174 G/C) GG genotype was associated with significantly higher levels of IL-6 compared to CC/CG genotype. Serum IL-6 >160 pg/ml increased the positive predictive value of persistent SIRS from 56% to 85% and specificity from 64% to 95% for predicting OF without compromising its sensitivity and negative predictive value.

CONCLUSION

Serum IL-6 of >160 ng/ml added significantly to the predictive value of SIRS for severe AP.

Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton Extract Ameliorates Inflammation and Hyperalgesia through Oxidative Stress Inhibition in Experimental Acute Pancreatitis

We evaluated the effect of the hydroethanolic extract of fruits of Vaccinium macrocarpon (HEVm) in a model of acute pancreatitis (AP) in mice. AP was induced by two injections of L-arginine and animals were treated with HEVm (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) or vehicle (saline) every 24 h, starting 1 h after the induction of AP. Phytochemical analysis of the extract and measurement of inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters, as well as abdominal hyperalgesia, were performed. Catechin, epicatechin, rutin, and anthocyanins were identified in HEVm. Treatment with HEVm decreased L-arginine-induced abdominal hyperalgesia (from 48 to 72 h). Also, treatment with HEVm decreased L-arginine-induced pancreatic edema, pancreatic and pulmonary neutrophil infiltration, and levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6, after 72 h of induction. L-arginine-induced hyperamylasemia and hyperlipasemia were also reduced by the treatment with HEVm in comparison to vehicle-treated group. Moreover, lipoperoxidation, carbonyl radicals, nonprotein sulfhydryl groups, and activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase, but not glutathione peroxidase, were restored by the treatment with HEVm. These results show that treatment with HEVm decreased hyperalgesia and pancreatic/extrapancreatic inflammation and oxidative damage in L-arginine-induced AP, making this extract attractive for future approaches designed to treat this condition.

Weekend Effect in Acute Pancreatitis-Related Hospital Admissions in the United States: An Analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the difference in overall outcomes between weekend admissions for acute pancreatitis (AP) and weekday admissions.

METHODS

Between 2005 and 2012, data were extracted from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample on adult patients with AP. Exclusion criteria were applied for chronic pancreatitis and other pancreatic and biliary malignancies. In-hospital mortality, length of stay, hospitalization costs, comorbidities, complications, and intervention rates were compared between the weekend and weekday admissions.

RESULTS

During the study period, there were a total of 432,303 weekday admissions and 147,435 weekend admissions for AP in the United States hospitals. Weekend AP admissions were more likely to develop alcohol withdrawal (5.9% vs 5.7%, P = 0.001) and ileus (4.1% vs 3.1%, P = 0.04). They were also more likely to develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (4.7% vs 4.4%, P < 0.001) and required more endotracheal intubation (3.9% vs 3.6%, P < 0.001). There was no significant in-hospital mortality difference between the weekend and weekday admissions on both univariate and multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Weekend AP admissions develop more severe complications requiring intensive care. Despite this, there was no weekend effect for in-hospital mortality for AP-related admissions.

Incidence and Predictors of Readmissions in Acute Pancreatitis: A Nationwide Analysis

OBJECTIVES

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common cause for hospitalization, and readmission is common, with variable associated risk factors for readmission. Here, we assessed the incidence and risk factors for readmission in AP in a large national database.

METHODS

We analyzed data from the National Readmission Database during the year 2013. Index admissions with a primary discharge diagnosis of AP using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification were identified from January to November to identify 30-day readmission rates. Demographic, hospital, and clinical diagnoses were included in multivariate regression analysis to identify readmission risk factors.

RESULTS

We identified 243,816 index AP discharges with 39,623 (16.2%) readmitted within 30 days. The most common reason for readmission was recurrent AP (41.5%). Increased odds of all-cause readmission were associated with younger age, nonhome discharge, increasing Charlson Comorbidity Index, and increased length of stay. Cholecystectomy during index admission was associated with reduced all-cause and recurrent AP readmissions (odds ratios of 0.5, and 0.35, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Readmission for AP is common, most often due to recurrent AP. Multiple factors, including cholecystectomy, during index admission, are associated with significantly reduced odds of all-cause and recurrent AP readmissions.

Disappearing portal venous gas in acute pancreatitis and small bowel ischemia

We report an usual case of hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG) in the setting of acute pancreatitis and small bowel ischemia. Interestingly, the HPVG disappeared within 2 hours of the original computed tomography scan, despite the patient having small bowel ischemia. The patient had a complicated clinical course, dying 62 days postadmission. This case highlights that HPVG in setting of acute pancreatitis and small bowel ischemia has a very high morbidity and mortality, requiring early detection and aggressive surgical management.

No weekend effect on outcomes of severe acute pancreatitis in Japan: data from the diagnosis procedure combination database

BACKGROUND

In the early phase of severe acute pancreatitis, timely multidisciplinary management is required to reduce mortality. The aim of this observational study was to evaluate the impact of weekend hospital admission on outcomes using population-based data in Japan.

METHODS

Data on adult patients (≥20 years) with severe acute pancreatitis were extracted from a nationwide Japanese administrative database covering over 1000 hospitals. In-hospital mortality, length of stay, and total costs were compared between weekend and weekday admissions, with adjustment for disease severity according to the current Japanese severity scoring system for acute pancreatitis, and other potential risk factors.

RESULTS

In total, 8328 patients hospitalized during the study period 2010-2013 were analyzed (2242 admitted at weekends and 6086 on weekdays). In-hospital mortality rates were not significantly different: 5.9 vs. 5.4 % for weekend and weekday admissions, respectively (multivariate-adjusted odds ratio, 1.06; 95 % confidence interval, 0.83-1.35). The impact of weekend admission was not significant either for length of hospitalization (median, 18 vs. 19 days) and total costs (median, 6161 vs. 6233 US dollars) (both p > 0.19 in multivariate-adjusted linear regression). The rates of, and time to, specific treatments were also similar between patients with weekend and weekday admissions.

CONCLUSIONS

A weekend effect in severe acute pancreatitis admissions was not evident. Adjustments to weekend staffing and selective hospital referral of patients admitted at weekends are not indicated for severe acute pancreatitis in current clinical practice in Japan.

Global incidence and mortality of pancreatic diseases: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression of population-based cohort studies

BACKGROUND

There is a lack of robust estimates of the worldwide incidence and mortality of acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic cysts, and pancreatic cancer in the general population. Our aim was to quantitate and compare the incidence and mortality of major pancreatic diseases in high-quality population-based cohort studies.

METHODS

Three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Scopus) were searched independently by two reviewers. Data from eligible studies were subject to meta-analysis to obtain global estimates. A number of prespecified subgroup analyses and meta-regression analyses were also done.

FINDINGS

48 population-based cohort studies (35 on pancreatic cancer, ten on acute pancreatitis, three on chronic pancreatitis, and none on pancreatic cysts) were identified, with a total study population of 296 million individuals and 119 000 patients with pancreatic diseases. Global estimates of incidence and mortality were 8·14 cases (95% CI 6·63-9·98) per 100 000 person-years and 6·92 deaths (95% CI 3·72-12·89) per 100 000 person-years for pancreatic cancer, 33·74 cases (95% CI 23·33-48·81) per 100 000 person-years and 1·60 deaths (95% CI 0·85-1·58) per 100 000 person-years for acute pancreatitis, and 9·62 cases (95% CI 7·86-11·78) per 100 000 person-years and 0·09 deaths (95% CI 0·02-0·47) per 100 000 person-years for chronic pancreatitis. Subgroup analysis based on the WHO regions showed that the incidences of both pancreatic cancer and acute pancreatitis, and mortality from pancreatic cancer, were significantly higher in the American region than in the European and Western Pacific regions, while the incidence of chronic pancreatitis was significantly higher in the European region than in the American region. Mortality from pancreatic cancer was lowest in the Southeast Asian region. The incidence of chronic pancreatitis was twice as high in men as in women, although there was no difference between sexes for pancreatic cancer or acute pancreatitis.

INTERPRETATION

Globally, acute pancreatitis is the most common pancreatic disease whilst pancreatic cancer is the most lethal. However, their burden is not equal across the globe. The epidemiological estimates reported in this study could inform future high-quality studies.

FUNDING

None.

Identifying risk factors for progression to critical care admission and death among individuals with acute pancreatitis: a record linkage analysis of Scottish healthcare databases

OBJECTIVES

Acute pancreatitis (AP) can initiate systemic complications that require support in critical care (CC). Our objective was to use the unified national health record to define the epidemiology of AP in Scotland, with a specific focus on deterministic and prognostic factors for CC admission in AP.

SETTING

Health boards in Scotland (n=4).

PARTICIPANTS

We included all individuals in a retrospective observational cohort with at least one episode of AP (ICD10 code K85) occurring in Scotland from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2012. 3340 individuals were coded as AP.

METHODS

Data from 16 sources, spanning general practice, community prescribing, Accident and Emergency attendances, hospital in-patient, CC and mortality registries, were linked by a unique patient identifier in a national safe haven. Logistic regression and gamma models were used to define independent predictive factors for severe AP (sAP) requiring CC admission or leading to death.

RESULTS

2053 individuals (61.5% (95% CI 59.8% to 63.2%)) met the definition for true AP (tAP). 368 patients (17.9% of tAP (95% CI 16.2% to 19.6%)) were admitted to CC. Predictors of sAP were pre-existing angina or hypertension, hypocalcaemia and age 30-39 years, if type 2 diabetes mellitus was present. The risk of sAP was lower in patients with multiple previous episodes of AP. In-hospital mortality in tAP was 5.0% (95% CI 4.1% to 5.9%) overall and 21.7% (95% CI 19.9% to 23.5%) in those with tAP necessitating CC admission.

CONCLUSIONS

National record-linkage analysis of routinely collected data constitutes a powerful resource to model CC admission and prognosticate death during AP. Mortality in patients with AP who require CC admission remains high.

Weekend Admission for Acute Cholangitis Does Not Adversely Impact Clinical or Endoscopic Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Acute cholangitis (AC) requires prompt diagnosis and treatment for optimal management.

AIMS

To examine whether a putative "weekend effect" impact outcomes of patients hospitalized for AC.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study of patients admitted with AC between 2009 and 2012. After excluding those not meeting Tokyo consensus criteria for AC, the cohort was categorized into weekend (Saturday-Sunday) and weekday (Monday-Friday) hospital admission and endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) groups. Primary outcome was length of stay (LOS); secondary outcomes included ERC performance, organ failure, and mortality. Groups were compared with Chi-square and t tests; predictors of LOS were assessed with linear regression.

RESULTS

The cohort consisted of 181 patients (mean age 63.1 years, 62.4 % male). Choledocholithiasis was the most common etiology of AC (29.4 %). Fifty-two patients (28.7 %) were admitted on a weekend and 129 (71.3 %) on a weekday. One hundred forty-one patients (78 %) underwent ERC, of which 120 (85 %) were on a weekday. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics, LOS, proportion undergoing ERC, time to ERC, organ failure, or mortality between weekend and weekday admission groups. Similarly, there were no significant differences between weekend and weekday ERC groups. In multivariate analyses, international normalized ratio (p < 0.01) and intensive care unit triage (p < 0.01) were independent predictors of LOS, whereas weekend admission (p = 0.23) and weekend ERC (p = 0.74) were not.

CONCLUSIONS

Weekend admission and weekend ERC do not negatively impact outcomes of patients hospitalized with acute cholangitis at a tertiary care center. Further studies, particularly in centers with less weekend resources or staffing, are indicated.

Zopiclone use associated with increased risk of acute pancreatitis: a case-control study in Taiwan

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between zopiclone use and the risk of acute pancreatitis in Taiwan.

METHODS

This was a population-based case-control study. The data source was from the database of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program since 2000-2011. We identified 5169 subjects aged 20-84 years with a first-time attack of acute pancreatitis as the patients and 20,676 sex-matched and age-matched subjects without acute pancreatitis as the controls. Active use of zopiclone was defined as subjects who received at least one prescription for zopiclone within 30 days before the date of diagnosing acute pancreatitis. The lack of zopiclone prescription was defined as 'never use'. We calculated the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) to assess the risk of acute pancreatitis associated with zopiclone use by the multivariable logistic regression model.

RESULTS

After adjustment for potential confounding variables, the adjusted OR of acute pancreatitis was 2.36 for subjects with active use of zopiclone (95% CI 1.70-3.28), as compared with those with never use of zopiclone. In further analysis, as a reference of subjects with never use of zopiclone and without alcohol-related disease and biliary stone, the adjusted OR increased to 14.44 in those with active use of zopiclone and with alcohol-related disease or biliary stone (95% CI 7.47-27.89).

CONCLUSIONS

Subjects actively using zopiclone are associated with increased risk of acute pancreatitis. Clinicians should take acute pancreatitis risk into account when prescribing zopiclone, particularly comorbid with alcohol-related disease or biliary stone.

The impact of social deprivation on mortality following acute myocardial infarction, stroke or subarachnoid haemorrhage: a record linkage study

Background

The impact of social deprivation on mortality following acute myocardial infarction (AMI), stroke and subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is unclear. Our objectives were, firstly, to determine, for each condition, whether there was higher mortality following admission according to social deprivation and secondly, to determine how any higher mortality for deprived groups may be correlated with factors including patient demographics, timing of admission and hospital size.

Methods

Routinely collected, linked hospital inpatient, mortality and primary care data were analysed for patients admitted as an emergency to hospitals in Wales between 2004 and 2011 with AMI (n = 30,663), stroke (37,888) and SAH (1753). Logistic regression with Bonferroni correction was used to examine, firstly, any significant increases in mortality with social deprivation quintile and, secondly, the influence of patient demographics, timing of admission and hospital characteristics on any higher mortality among the most socially deprived groups.

Results

Mortality was 14.3 % at 30 days for AMI, 21.4 % for stroke and 35.6 % for SAH. Social deprivation was significantly associated with higher mortality for AMI (25 %; 95 % CI = 12 %, 40 %) higher for quintile V compared with I), stroke (24 %; 14 %, 34 %), and non-significantly for SAH (32 %; −7 %, 87 %).

The higher mortality at 30 days with increased social deprivation varied significantly according to patient age for AMI patients and time period for SAH. It was also highest for both AMI and stroke patients, although not significantly for female patients, for admissions on weekdays and during autumn months.

Conclusions

We have demonstrated a positive association between social deprivation and higher mortality following emergency admissions for both AMI and stroke. The study findings also suggest that the influence of patient demographics, timing of admission and hospital size on social inequalities in mortality are quite similar for AMI and stroke.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12872-015-0045-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.