Namık Kemal Tıp Dergisi (Dec 2021)

Factors Affecting the Imaging Preference of Acute Pancreatitis Patients in the Emergency Department: A Retrospective Study on 63 Cases

  • Serhat ÖRÜN

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4274/nkmj.galenos.2021.07078
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 3
pp. 290 – 294

Abstract

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Aim:Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease in which the pancreas is affected at different levels. It is often reversible. The diagnosis of pancreatitis is made by evaluating the anamnesis, physical examination, laboratory and radiological examinations together. Usually ultrasonography (USG) and contrast-enhanced abdominal tomography (CT) are needed for diagnosis in emergency services. The aim of this study is to contribute to the use of imaging techniques used for the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis patients in the emergency department with the correct indications.Materials and Methods:Our study is retrospective. All patients over the age of 18 years who were admitted to our emergency department between 01.01.2019 and 01.01.2020 and diagnosed with acute pancreatitis were included in the study. The demographic characteristics, laboratory findings, imaging procedures and imaging findings of the patients were determined by examining the files of the patients included in the study.Results:A total of 63 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 59.69±17.33 years and 38 (60.3%) of them were women. Of these 63 patients, 54 (85.7%) had abdominal USG and 37 (58.7%) had abdominal CT imaging with contrast. The mean amylase value of the cases was 958.01±1051.69 and the mean lipase value was 1051.28±1340.92. There was no statistical relationship between Ranson score and lipase level (p=0.681). When the Ranson scores of the patients with biliary and non-biliary pancreatitis were compared, there was not a statistically significant difference (p=0.844).Conclusion:We think that USG imaging should be used in all patients for acute pancreatitis in the emergency department, its main indication is for gallbladder and intra/extra hepatic biliary tract pathologies. In addition, we think that the indications for contrast-enhanced abdominal CT imaging should be clarified, except for the exclusion of severe acute pancreatitis and other possible emergency pathologies.

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