A OBSERVATIONAL STUDY ON QUALITY OF LIFE IN ACUTE AND CHRONIC PANCREATITIS PATIENTS

Background: Pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease of the pancreas that can have a major impact on a patient's physical and mental health.Damage to the pancreas can result in a number of issues that have a detrimental effect on patients' quality of life because the organ is crucial to digestion and metabolism.The Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used in this study to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with acute and chronic pancreatitis.Methods: An observational study was conducted at the PNR Gut and Liver Clinic, Hanmakonda, Telangana, India, from September 2024 to March 2025.Patients visiting the gastroenterology department who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study.Data were collected from case sheets, prescriptions, laboratory reports, and questionnaires.HRQoL was evaluated using the SF-36 questionnaire covering eight health domains.A total of 84 patients were screened, and 63 eligible patients were included in the final analysis.Results: Among the 63 patients, 82.5% were males and 17.5% were females, with the majority belonging to the 31-40 years age group.Acute pancreatitis was observed in 66.6% of patients, while 33.4% had chronic pancreatitis.Patients with acute pancreatitis showed comparatively higher HRQoL scores, whereas patients with chronic pancreatitis demonstrated significantly lower scores across most domains, indicating a greater negative impact on their quality of life.Conclusion: The study findings indicate that pancreatitis, particularly chronic pancreatitis, significantly affects patients' quality of life.Early diagnosis, effective management, and supportive care may help improve the overall well-being of these patients.