CLASSIFICATION OF ACUTE-PANCREATITIS AND THE ROLE OF PROGNOSTIC FACTORS IN ASSESSING SEVERITY OF DISEASE

Authors
Citation
Cw. Imrie, CLASSIFICATION OF ACUTE-PANCREATITIS AND THE ROLE OF PROGNOSTIC FACTORS IN ASSESSING SEVERITY OF DISEASE, Schweizerische medizinische Wochenschrift, 127(19), 1997, pp. 798-804
Citations number
25
Categorie Soggetti
Medicine, General & Internal
ISSN journal
00367672
Volume
127
Issue
19
Year of publication
1997
Pages
798 - 804
Database
ISI
SICI code
0036-7672(1997)127:19<798:COAATR>2.0.ZU;2-R
Abstract
Clinical assessment of acute pancreatitis by experts is as accurate as any of the individual approaches which have been recommended. What is important in a hospital setting is for one or more of these systems t o be applied in individual hospitals so that forewarning is given, esp ecially to the less experienced clinicians, of the patient who is like ly to run into difficulties and requires high dependency or intensive care. One practical approach which can be personally recommended is to employ the Glasgow scoring system plus C-reactive protein levels and also to take into account body mass index. Any patient with three posi tive Glasgow factors, or CRP >150 mg/1 or BMI >30 kg/m(2) has severe a cute pancreatitis. More refined systems may ultimately be developed bu t we are still some way from a single substance in blood or urine bein g easily and cheaply measured and representing an accurate prognostic indicator of severe acute pancreatitis. Part of the journey has been c ompleted but there is still considerable potential to make the rest of the journey an improvement for both clinicians and patients.