ACUTE-PANCREATITIS IN PATIENTS OVER 80 YEARS

Objective: To evaluate the occurrence, aetiology and outcome of acute pancreatitis (AP) in patients over 80 years of age, compared with thos e between 61 and 79 years old. Design: Retrospective analysis. Setting : University hospital, Finland. Subjects: Subgroups of 22 patients 80 years old or over and 139 patients 61-79 years old out of 1058 episode s of AP between 1982 and 1990. Main outcome measures: Mortality, morbi dity, and hospital stay. Results: The percentage of patients aged 80 o r more varied from 0 in 1982 to 3% in 1990; 13 (59%) were women compar ed with 47 (34%) in the 61-79 year old group (p = 0.03). AP in the old er group was more likely to be necrotising 9/22 (41%) compared with 23 /139 (17%), p = 0.02) and to have been caused by biliary disease 15/22 (68%) compared with 54/139 (39%), (p = 0.01). The overall mortality w as 9/22 (41%) in the 80 years and over group and 24/139 (17%) in patie nts aged 61-79 years (p = 0.02). All 9 patients in their eighties with necrotising pancreatitis died. Neither the mode of treatment nor the Glasgow prognostic scoring had any relation to mortality in the older group. Conclusions: AP in patients of 80 or more is a serious disease with a high mortality irrespective of standard treatment.