COMPARATIVE STUDY OF DISEASE SEVERITY, COURSE, COMPLICATIONS, AND CLINICAL OUTCOME BETWEEN ALCOHOL-INDUCED PANCREATITIS AND GALL STONE-INDUCED PANCREATITIS

Objective:To assess whether the etiological factors of alcohol and gall stones affect the disease severity, course, disease-associated complications, and clinical outcome in terms of length of hospital stay, infection/organ failure rates, intervention rates, and mortality. Materials and Method: We conducted a hospital-based prospective study in the Department of Radio-Diagnosis, Assam Medical College, where 75 cases with acute pancreatitis were screened and subdivided into three etiological groups: (i) alcoholism (33 cases), (ii) cholelithiasis (23 cases), and (iii) other causes (19 cases), out of which 56 cases with etiology of alcoholism and gall stones were included in our study. The severity was scored using the Modified CT Severity Index. Clinical follow-up was done for both alcohol-induced Pancreatitis and Gall stone-induced pancreatitis groups to assess the disease course, disease-associated complications& clinical outcome. Statistical analysis: We analyzed data using the computer program Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS for Windows, version 21.0. Chicago, SPSS Inc.) and Microsoft Excel 2010. Results: In a total of 75 cases screened for our study, alcohol-induced pancreatitis was the leading cause of acute pancreatitis (33 cases), followed by gall stone-induced pancreatitis (23 cases). Together, they accounted for 56 cases and constituted our study population. The majority of cases in our study were categorized under Moderate acute Pancreatitis in both alcohol-induced acute pancreatitis and gall stone-induced Pancreatitis as per the Modified CT Severity Index. The occurrence of ascites was more in alcohol-induced A.P. No significant difference was noted between the two groups in parameters such as peripancreatic or pancreatic fluid collection, necrosis, pleural effusion, extrapancreatic parenchymal abnormality, vascular complications & G.I. complications. There was no statistically significant difference in clinical outcome between the two groups regarding the length of hospital stay, infection/organ failure evidence, need for intervention, and mortality. Conclusion: Our study found no significant difference between the two etiological groups regarding disease severity, course & complications, and clinical outcome except for the increased occurrence of ascites in alcohol-induced pancreatitis.