ETIOLOGY AND AGE HAVE ONLY A LIMITED INFLUENCE ON THE COURSE OF ACUTE-PANCREATITIS

In a retrospective study of 602 patients with a first attack of acute pancreatitis, it was investigated whether the etiology of the disease and age of the patient are negative factors. There was no significant difference concerning hospital stay, respiratory and renal insufficien cy, indication for surgery, or mortality rate among the different etio logical groups. However, pancreatic pseudocysts developed significantl y more frequently in alcoholics than in patients with other etiologies (p < 0.001 to p = 0.007). There was also no difference concerning hos pital stay and respiratory insufficiency among the age groups. The inc reased incidence of renal insufficiency probably is related to physiol ogical alteration with age, but the indication for dialysis did not in crease. Pancreatic pseudocysts were more frequent in patients between 31 and 40 years of age, which was also the peak age group of alcoholic s. Indication for surgery was the same for all age subgroups. The incr ease in mortality rate with age was weakly significant (p = 0.049). Fo r the etiological subgroups, an increase in mortality with age was fou nd only for biliary pancreatitis patients (p = 0.003). It is concluded that etiology and age of the patient have only limited influences on the course of acute pancreatitis.