Innovative pathways allow safe discharge of mild acute pancreatitis from the emergency room

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a leading cause of gastrointestinal-related hospitalizations in the United States, resulting in 300000 admissions per year with an estimated cost of over $2.6 billion annually. The severity of AP is determined by the presence of pancreatic complications and end-organ damage. While moderate/severe pancreatitis can be associated with significant morbidity and mortality, the majority of patients have a mild presentation with an uncomplicated course and mortality rate of less than 2%. Despite favorable outcomes, the majority of mild AP patients are admitted, contributing to healthcare cost and burden. In this Editorial we review the performance of an emergency department (ED) pathway for patients with mild AP at a tertiary care center with the goal of reducing hospitalizations, resource utilization, and costs after several years of implementation of the pathway. We discuss the clinical course and outcomes of mild AP patients enrolled in the pathway who were successfully discharged from the ED compared to those who were admitted to the hospital, and identify predictors of successful ED discharge to select patients who can potentially be triaged to the pathway. We conclude that by implementing innovative clinical pathways which are established and reproducible, selected AP patients can be safely discharged from the ED, reducing hospitalizations and healthcare costs, without compromising clinical outcomes. We also identify a subset of patients most likely to succeed in this pathway.