A clinical profile of acute pancreatitis in a tertiary hospital in South India

Abstract

Background: Acute pancreatitis is a condition that is quite prevalent in South India. It causes significant morbidity and even mortality if not treated. Aim of this study is to find out the main aetiological factors for acute pancreatitis and their association with comorbidities.Methods: Our study is a prospective observational study conducted on 80 consecutive patients who presented with features of acute pancreatitis between 20 – 80 years age group, attending the department of General Surgery, Sree Gokulam Medical College and research foundation, Venjaramoodu, Trivandrum during the period of November 2012 to May 2014. The obtained data was uploaded in Microsoft excel sheet and analysed. Finally all these variables were correlated with the severity using Pearson Chi-Square test.Results: In our study of 80 patients majority were males 59(73.75%). Majority cases were seen in between 41 to 50 years 29(36.3%). The commonest cause was alcohol induced type, 52(65%) followed by gall stone pancreatitis 17(21%). Diet, alcohol intake or gender did not corelate with severity of pancreatitis. Elderly patients with high BMI are more prone to complications.