PANCREATIC NECROSIS - ASSESSMENT OF OUTCOME RELATED TO QUALITY-OF-LIFE AND COST OF MANAGEMENT

Ten patients with necrotizing pancreatitis admitted consecutively betw een August 1990 and August 1991 were studied They comprised eight men and two women of median age 63 (range 29-73) years. One patient died. The median length of hospital stay was 74 (range 40-150) days. The med ian number of operations and endoscopic procedures performed per patie nt was 4 (range 2-7). Investigations performed included multiple bacte riological, radiological, haematological and biochemical tests. The me an cost of management was pound 18441 (range pound 9296-and pound 3379 6), of which hospitalization accounted for 65 per cent, operations and endoscopic procedures 20 per cent and investigations 16 per cent. Cos t-utility analysis demonstrated a mean benefit per patient of 8.55 qua lity-adjusted life years gained at a cost of pound 2157 each. The mana gement of pancreatic necrosis is expensive but justified by the excell ent outcome in terms of quality of life.