S290 Age ≥60 Years Predicts Higher In-Hospital Mortality in Acute Pancreatitis: A 2022 Central Pennsylvania Retrospective Cohort Study

Introduction: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an acute inflammatory disorder of the pancreas and a major contributor to gastrointestinal-related hospitalizations globally, with substantial clinical and economic consequences. While the majority of cases resolve with mild disease, up to 20% progress to severe AP, marked by increased morbidity, mortality, and resource use, particularly in high-risk subgroups. As the population ages, older patients are experiencing a rising incidence of AP and disproportionately suffer severe complications and death. However, the influence of advanced age on in-hospital outcomes including in-hospital mortality, need for intensive care, and length of stay has not been clearly defined, and prior reports lack consistent, age-stratified data. Recognizing the unique vulnerabilities of elderly patients, our study aims to fill this gap by rigorously analyzing the relationship between age and in-hospital outcomes in AP. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 287 consecutive adults (≥18 years) admitted with serologically and radiographically confirmed acute pancreatitis to a Central Pennsylvania hospital in 2022. Exclusion criteria included age <18 years, acute-on-chronic pancreatitis, incomplete demographic data, or absence of confirmatory laboratory or imaging studies. Patients were stratified into elderly (≥60 years; n = 105) and non-elderly (<60 years; n = 182) cohorts. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality; secondary endpoints were intensive care unit admission and hospital length of stay. Continuous variables were assessed for normality using the Shapiro–Wilk test: normally distributed data are reported as mean ± SD (range), and non-normal data as median (interquartile range). Between-group comparisons used Student’s t-test or the Mann–Whitney U test for continuous variables, and chi-square or Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables. A two-sided P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. All analysis were performed with SAS 9.4. Results: Elderly patients had higher in-hospital mortality than non-elderly patients (12.4% vs 2.2%; P = 0.0004). ICU admission rates were similar (8.6% vs 6.1%; P = 0.43). Median length of stay was 3 days (IQR 2–5) in elderly and 3 days (IQR 2–4) in non-elderly patients (P = 0.09). Conclusion: Elderly AP patients exhibit distinct demographic characteristics, including greater White race representation, higher partnership rates, and increased inpatient care, underscoring the need to tailor outreach and support interventions by age.