Abstract

GOMEZ V, Álvaro A  and  RODRIGUEZ V, Alberto. Characteristics of Patients Diagnosed With Acute Pancreatitis Treated Between January 2008 and December 2011 at a Fourth Level Medical Center. Rev Col Gastroenterol [online]. 2015, vol.30, n.2, pp.171-176. ISSN 0120-9957.

Introduction: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a frequent reason for patients to consult with physicians and is a condition that is often associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Since little information has been published on the clinical characteristics of AP in Colombia, we consider it important to establish the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients as well as the types of treatment received and the outcomes of patients with AP at a fourth level hospital. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study based on a review of the medical histories of adult patients with AP who were hospitalized between January 2008 and December 2011. Results: The study included 222 patients 60% of whom were women. Their mean age was 52 years. The most frequent symptoms were abdominal pain (99%),  vomiting (65%) and jaundice (13%). The clinical characteristics of 99% of these patients were compatible with AP. Enzymatic alterations were found in 96% of the cases and imaging criteria were needed to confirm the diagnosis in only 7% of the cases. Biliary etiology was the most common (67% of cases), and only 6% had alcoholic etiology. Severe AP was diagnosed in 63% of the patients. 32% required intensive care, 10% of patients required vasopressor support, and overall mortality was 4%. Conclusion: The clinical, demographic and etiological characteristics of these patients were similar to those described in other series from medical centers of similar complexity. Nevertheless, the percentage of patients with severe AP was high which may have been due to the relatively low specificity of the staging used. Despite this high percentage severe cases, overall mortality was not high. Since severe cases require specific therapeutic interventions, it might be useful to define classification criteria that are more useful in our population.

Keywords : Acute pancreatitis; severity; mortality.

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