Hypertriglyceridemia is a Risk Factor for Fever in Early Acute Non-biliary Pancreatitis

Fever is a common symptom of acute pancreatitis (AP). This study examined the factors associated with fever due to pancreatic inflammation in the early stages of non-biliary AP.

This study analyzed the AP database from Kangwon National University Hospital from January 2018 until April 2021 and identified patients who developed fever within 1 week of hospitalization. Patients with gallstone pancreatitis, pseudocyst, walled-off necrosis, chronic pancreatitis, bacteremia, and other site infections were excluded. The febrile group was compared with the afebrile group.

One hundred and fifty-two patients were analyzed, and fever was diagnosed in 79 patients (52.0%). Based on multivariate analysis, fever was positively correlated with hypertriglyceridemia-induced AP (OR 16.8, 95% CI 4.0-70.7, p<0.01) and computed tomography severity index (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.2-2.6, p<0.01). Recurrent AP was negatively associated with fever (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.8, p=0.01). Fever was more frequent in patients with higher initial serum triglyceride (TG) levels than those with lower levels (TG <200 mg/dL; 35.1%, 200≤TG<500 mg/dL; 42.3%, TG ≥500 mg/dL; 88.6%, p<0.01).

Hypertriglyceridemia and CT severity index are associated with fever in early non-biliary AP.