Acute pancreatitis in Goa--a hospital-based study

A prospective analysis of the epidemiology and outcome of patients admitted with acute pancreatitis to a tertiary health care centre in Goa was carried out during the time period of 1st June, 2003 to 31st January, 2005. The patients studied were those who were admitted to the Goa Medical College with a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis based on a serum amylase of greater than 180 Somogyii units with appropriate clinical and radiographic evidence. The selection criteria were fulfilled by 282 patients. Acute pancreatitis accounted for 2.29% of all admissions and 4.9% of all deaths in the department of surgery. The disease was seen to affect males more commonly (96.1%), alcohol, being the predominant (92.2%) aetiological factor. The median age for occurrence of the disease was 40 years. Severe acute pancreatitis was encountered in 32.9% cases with a mortality rate of 12.05%. Mortality was higher in patients older than 50 years. Complications included pseudocysts (n = 34), abscess (n = 2), necrosis (n = 6), ascites (n = 13), acute respiratory distress syndrome (n = 13), acute renal failure (n = 14), shock (n = 14), coagulopathy (n = 1) and pleural effusion (n = 26). The widespread availability and use of locally made cheaper varieties of alcohol in our geographical location explains the trend towards alcoholic pancreatitis and younger age groups being affected by the disease.