Acute pancreatitis in a military hospital

This is a retrospective review of 139 patients who had 152 admissions for acute pancreatitis. Mean patient age was 40 years (range, 1 to 83 years), although the largest percentage (56%) fell between ages 20 and 39 years. There were 92 males and 47 females. Abdominal pain was universal and typically epigastric (88%). Radiologic ultrasound study was used in 80% of patients, which demonstrated pancreatic abnormalities in 37% and gallstones in 16%. Alcohol was the most common cause of acute pancreatitis, accounting for 37% of first attacks and 52% of recurrent attacks. About 15% of patients required intensive care unit management and 23% required operations. Only one patient died (mortality = 0.6%). Among our patients, 58% had at least one of 11 risk factors according to Ranson's criteria, although no one had more than four. Presence of Ranson's risk factors was predictive of need for intensive care unit management (p less than 0.001) and for the need of operation in general (p less than 0.05). Compared to other series reported in the literature, our patients appear to have been diagnosed and admitted earlier.