A Retrospective Study of Predictors for Readmission in Patients With Acute Pancreatitis

Patients with acute pancreatitis usually recover within a few weeks. Resumption of exposure to risk factors results in the recurrence of pancreatitis and readmission. This study aimed to identify the predictors of readmission among acute pancreatitis patients. A retrospective study design was adopted where the medical records of patients admitted with acute pancreatitis between January 2019 and December 2020 were included. To determine the predictors for readmission, tools such as demographics, clinical proforma, and checklists on predictors of readmission were utilized. The data were analyzed using descriptive (frequency and percentage) and inferential statistics (logistic regression). The readmission rate among adults with acute pancreatitis was 36%. Most of the patients belonged to the age group of 36-55 years. The predominant risk factors identified causing acute pancreatitis were alcohol abuse, gallstones, and idiopathic factors. A higher rate of readmission was seen in alcoholic acute pancreatitis (60.9%) and patients with moderately severe acute pancreatitis (56.1%). At index admission, 30.9% of patients had type 2 diabetes mellitus, 38.7% were alcohol dependent, 41.3% had peripancreatic collection, 12.2% had pseudocyst, and 13% had walled-off necrosis. These factors were the predictors for readmission in patients with acute pancreatitis. A focus on the predictors of readmission with early interventions that prevent complications during the index admission may reduce the risk of readmission in acute pancreatitis.