Audit of acute pancreatitis management: a tale of two hospitals

A case note audit of existing practices in the management of acute pancreatitis (AP) at a district general hospital (DGH) and a teaching hospital was undertaken to determine if practices were in accordance with published UK guidelines.

Casenotes of all adults admitted with AP over a period of one year at the two hospitals were reviewed.

Ninety-five patients were treated for AP at the teaching hospital and 52 at the DGH. The age, sex and aetiological distributions at the two hospitals were similar. Fifteen (15.8%) patients at the teaching hospital and eight (15.3%) at the DGH had severe AP. Four patients died at each hospital. Prognostic Glasgow criteria tests (excluding LDH) were completed within 48 hours in 43% patients at the teaching hospital and 48% at the DGH. Five of the twenty-five cholecystectomies at the teaching hospital and 4/18 at the DGH were performed within four weeks after admission with AP.

Audit of current practice has highlighted deficiencies at many levels compared with current evidence-based guidelines, although this has not resulted in unexpected mortality. It remains to be seen whether new measures to aid compliance with guidelines will result in improvement in morbidity and mortality.