Hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis treated with continuous insulin infusion-Case series

There are no definitive treatment guidelines for hypertriglyceridemia (HTG)-induced acute pancreatitis (AP). The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the efficacy of insulin in decreasing triglyceride (TG) levels in patients with HTG-induced AP.

We included 17 cases of HTG-induced AP treated with continuous insulin aspart for 4 days.

Fifteen patients were male, two were female. The mean TG level at admission was 56.53 ± 25.29 mmol/L. The mean APACHE II score was 10.2 ± 5.7, Ranson 4.2 ± 1.7 and Balthazar 6.5 ± 2.6, implying a severe form of the disease.

In an 8-year period, 17 patients with a diagnosis of HTG-induced AP were treated with a continuous infusion of 5% dextrose and insulin aspart in an attempt to lower TG levels. TG levels were assessed on admission, the second and fourth day of therapy. The patient outcome, complications and recurrence of AP were monitored.

A significant reduction of TG levels was observed in all patients on Day 4. All patients survived, with one forming a giant pseudocyst as a disease complication, one needing haemodialyses treatment due to an acute kidney injury, and one developing acute respiratory distress syndrome that required mechanical ventilation for 4 days. All patients recovered completely.

Our study showed that continuous insulin aspart infusion decreases TG levels in HTG-induced AP from a mean TG level of 56.53 mmol/L on Day 1 to 21.75 mmol/L on Day 2 and finally to 6.86 mmol/L on Day 4. We consider this therapy very efficient, safe, simple to administer and monitor.