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Serial lipase for pancreatitis: not enough evidence
Tishanthan Pathmarajah1, Marwan Idrees2, Sana Nasim1
1Department of General Surgery, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
ANZ Journal of Surgery
|December 2, 2017
Summary
Serial lipase measurements are not definitively proven for pancreatitis prognosis. More prospective studies are needed to confirm its benefits in monitoring acute pancreatitis, especially in adults.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Biomarker Research
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Lipase is a sensitive and specific diagnostic marker for pancreatitis.
- The prognostic and monitoring utility of serial lipase measurements remains unclear.
- Limited data exists on serial lipase in traumatic pancreatitis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the evidence on serial lipase for pancreatitis monitoring and prognosis.
- To evaluate the role of serial lipase in traumatic pancreatitis subgroups.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar (1995-2015).
- Adherence to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) standards.
- Data extraction and analysis by two independent authors.
Main Results:
- Seven studies (6 retrospective, 1 prospective) were included.
- Five retrospective studies found no prognostic benefit of serial lipase.
- Two studies suggested serial lipase as a beneficial prognostic factor; only two studies addressed traumatic pancreatitis in pediatric patients.
Conclusions:
- Current evidence for serial lipase in pancreatitis prognosis is weak, primarily from retrospective studies.
- Prospective data suggests potential prognostic benefits.
- Further prospective research is needed for adult pancreatitis (traumatic and non-traumatic).
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