HPB SO09 - Review of the management and the outcome of acute pancreatitis in a tertiary centre in the United Kingdom

Abstract Background Acute idiopathic pancreatitis (IP) is a challenging condition in surgical practice. We undertook a prospective review of all patients presenting with idiopathic pancreatitis to identify the natural course of the disease. Method Fifty-nine patients were identified within a 12-month period from a prospectively maintained database. Patients were diagnosed with idiopathic pancreatitis (IP) following a standardised protocol excluding other causes of pancreatitis. Results Over one year, a total of 373 new patients with acute pancreatitis were admitted. IP constituted 15.8% of admissions; 15.2 % of which presented with severe pancreatitis. Average LOS for the index IP admission was 7.05 days, compared with 6.4 days for the rest of cohort. 8.47% with IP were re-admitted within 3 months of index admission, increasing to 13.6% over 12 months. Overall, 16.9% developed long term complications including pancreatic insufficiency or chronic pancreatitis over 12 months compared to 15.3% in the rest of AP cohort. The mortality rate was 3.4% and 12.1% in the IP and AP cohort respectively. Conclusion Idiopathic pancreatitis constitutes a larger burden than expected in a large prospective cohort of patients with AP. Patients with IP have a longer LOS and a high risk of long-term sequelae.