Analysis of the clinical features of 106 cases with elderly acute pancreatitis

Wang Nana; Liu Qingmin

doi:10.3969/.issn.1674-3245.2017.02.016

Abstract：Objective To explore the clinical characteristics of acute pancreatitis in the elderly. Methods The clinical data of 106 elderly patients with acute pancreatitis and 103 non-elderly patients with pancreatitis in Heze Municipal Hospital from January 2013 to December 2015 were analyzed by the retrospective analysis. Results No gender difference in the incidence of AP was found in elderly patients (1:1.07),but the incidence in men was higher than that in women in non-elderly patients(2.8:1). In 66 percent of the elderly AP patients (70 cases), the disease was of biliary origin; this was true of 22.3 percent of the non-elderly patients (23 cases), representing a significant difference (P < 0.01). The main causes of AP in non-elderly patients were alcohol intake,hyperlipidemia and overeating. The symptoms in 7 elderly AP patients did not include apparent abdominal pain but did include bloating,nausea/vomiting,fever and back pain. The rate of abnormal amylase levels in the elderly group was lower than that in the non-elderly group (84.9%vs 96.1%,P<0.01).The incidence of severe acute pancreatitis in the elderly group was higher than that in the non-elderly group (9.4% vs 1.9%,P < 0.01). The concurrent infection rate was higher in the elderly group than in the non-elderly group (66% vs 29.1%,P < 0.01). More patients exhibited multiple organ dysfunction in the elderly group than in the non-elderly group (6.6%vs 1%,P<0.05). The mortality rate was higher in the elderly group than in the non-elderly group. Biliary etiology was the main cause in the elderly AP patients. Attention should be paid to elderly AP patients because the symptoms in some patients do not include typical abdominal pain but do include nausea ,vomiting and bloating. The main features of AP in the elderly include a high incidence of complications and rapid progression of the disease ,and these patients exhibit an especially high mortality rate;therefore, we should attach great importance to the diagnosis and treatment of elderly AP patients. Conclusion Biliary etiology is the main causes in the elderly AP, We should pay attention to the elderly AP patient because the symptoms of some patients are not typical abdominal pain but are nausea ,vomiting and bloating. The main features of the elderly AP are high incidence of complications and rapid progress,especially high mortality rate,so we should attach great importance to the diagnosis and treatment of elderly AP.