Correlation of C-reactive Protein, Lactate Dehydrogenase, and Serum Calcium With the CT Severity Index in Acute Pancreatitis

Background Acute pancreatitis exhibits a wide clinical spectrum ranging from mild, self-limiting disease to severe forms associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Early identification of disease severity is crucial for guiding management and triaging patients who require close monitoring or intensive care. Biochemical markers that are simple and readily available may aid in early severity prediction. Methodology This prospective study included 55 adult patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis and treated in the Department of General Surgery at Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research between November 2020 and November 2021. Patients with chronic pancreatitis, recurrent pancreatitis, or pancreatic malignancy were excluded. All patients underwent biochemical evaluation including C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and serum calcium, along with contrast-enhanced CT of the abdomen using a pancreatic protocol. The CT severity index (CTSI) was calculated, and correlations with biochemical parameters were analyzed. Results Of the 55 patients, alcohol was the etiology in 40 (72.7%) patients and gallstones in 15 (27.3%) patients. A statistically significant correlation was observed between CRP levels and the CTSI, as well as between LDH levels and the CTSI. No statistically significant correlation was found between serum calcium levels and the CTSI. Conclusions CRP and LDH are useful biochemical markers for predicting the severity of acute pancreatitis when correlated with the CTSI. Serum calcium did not demonstrate a significant association with disease severity in this study. These markers may assist in early risk stratification, although larger multicenter studies are required to validate these findings.