G. Uomo et al., Influence of advanced age and related comorbidity on the course and outcome of acute pancreatitis, ITAL J GAST, 30(6), 1998, pp. 616-621
Citations number
27
Categorie Soggetti
Gastroenerology and Hepatology
Journal title
ITALIAN JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY
Background and Aims. Aging process and comorbidity have been held to influe
nce the course and outcome of acute pancreatitis in elderly patients. The a
im of the present study was to investigate this issue in a large series of
patients greater than or equal to 70 years of age suffering from acute panc
reatitis.
Patients and Methods. A retrospectively study was carried out on 439 patien
ts with a first episode of AP. The patients were divided into into age grou
ps: less than or equal to 69 years (n = 340) and greater than or equal to 7
0 years (n = 99). Differences in general characteristics, aetiological fact
ors, blood tests and laboratory data, severity of the disease and outcome w
ere evaluated. The presence of intercurrent diseases was also investigated
in the two age groups.
Results. No significant difference was observed in the distribution of the
various aetiological factors in the two age groups considered. The percenta
ge of patients with necrotizing forms of AP, Ranson prognostic score for se
verity, local and systemic complications, the number of patients requiring
surgical intervention or endoscopic sphincterotomy, us well as length of ho
spital stay were similar in the two groups. Considering the patients suffer
ing from necrotizing acute pancreatitis, a significant increase (p=0.01) in
mortality was observed in greater than or equal to 70-year-old patients (2
5.8 vs 7.8%). Associated diseases were significantly more frequent in advan
ced age (63.6 vs 41.4%; p=0.0004), but morbidity did not correlate with the
presence of pancreatic necrosis, the need for surgery or endoscopic sphinc
terotomy, and with mortality.
Conclusions. The results of this study suggest that advanced age and relate
d comorbidity have only a limited influence on the course and outcome of ac
ute pancreatitis.