Discharge protocol in acute pancreatitis: an international survey and cohort analysis

Discharge protocol; Acute pancreatitisProtocol d'alta; Pancreatitis agudaProtocolo de alta; Pancreatitis agudaThere are several overlapping clinical practice guidelines in acute pancreatitis (AP), however, none of them contains suggestions on patient discharge. The Hungarian Pancreatic Study Group (HPSG) has recently developed a laboratory data and symptom-based discharge protocol which needs to be validated. (1) A survey was conducted involving all members of the International Association of Pancreatology (IAP) to understand the characteristics of international discharge protocols. (2) We investigated the safety and effectiveness of the HPSG-discharge protocol. According to our international survey, 87.5% (49/56) of the centres had no discharge protocol. Patients discharged based on protocols have a significantly shorter median length of hospitalization (LOH) (7 (5;10) days vs. 8 (5;12) days) p < 0.001), and a lower rate of readmission due to recurrent AP episodes (p = 0.005). There was no difference in median discharge CRP level among the international cohorts (p = 0.586). HPSG-protocol resulted in the shortest LOH (6 (5;9) days) and highest median CRP (35.40 (13.78; 68.40) mg/l). Safety was confirmed by the low rate of readmittance (n = 35; 5%). Discharge protocol is necessary in AP. The discharge protocol used in this study is the first clinically proven protocol. Developing and testifying further protocols are needed to better standardize patients’ care.The study was supported by a project grant (TKP2021-EGA-23) of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology of Hungary to PH, by an NKFIH OTKA grant (K131996) to PH, by the János Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (to AM), by the Project Grants (KA–2019–14, FK131864 to AM) and by the ÚNKP–22–5 New National Excellence Program of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology from the source of the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund (to AM). The project has received funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 739593. (to BCN). BCN has received funding from János Bolyai Research Grant (BO/00648/21/5) and the New National Excellence Program (UNKP-22-5-SZTE-585) and it was supported by the ÚNKP-22-4-II New national Excellence Program of the Ministry for Culture and Innovation from the Source of the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund (to KM)

Early changes in laboratory parameters are predictors of mortality and ICU admission in patients with COVID-19 : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Despite the growing knowledge of the clinicopathological features of COVID-19, the correlation between early changes in the laboratory parameters and the clinical outcomes of patients is not entirely understood. In this study, we aimed to assess the prognostic value of early laboratory parameters in COVID-19. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis based on the available literature in five databases. The last search was on July 26, 2020, with key terms related to COVID-19. Eligible studies contained original data of at least ten infected patients and reported on baseline laboratory parameters of patients. We calculated weighted mean differences (WMDs) for continuous outcomes and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals. 93 and 78 studies were included in quantitative and qualitative syntheses, respectively. Higher baseline total white blood cell count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate-dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), D-dimer and lower absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) (WMDALC = - 0.35 × 109/L [CI - 0.43, - 0.27], p < 0.001, I2 = 94.2%; < 0.8 × 109/L, ORALC = 3.74 [CI 1.77, 7.92], p = 0.001, I2 = 65.5%) were all associated with higher mortality rate. On admission WBC, ALC, D-dimer, CRP, LDH, and CK changes could serve as alarming prognostic factors. The correct interpretation of laboratory abnormalities can guide therapeutic decisions, especially in early identification of potentially critical cases. This meta-analysis should help to allocate resources and save lives by enabling timely intervention

Discharge protocol in acute pancreatitis: an international survey and cohort analysis

There are several overlapping clinical practice guidelines in acute pancreatitis (AP), however, none of them contains suggestions on patient discharge. The Hungarian Pancreatic Study Group (HPSG) has recently developed a laboratory data and symptom-based discharge protocol which needs to be validated. (1) A survey was conducted involving all members of the International Association of Pancreatology (IAP) to understand the characteristics of international discharge protocols. (2) We investigated the safety and effectiveness of the HPSG-discharge protocol. According to our international survey, 87.5% (49/56) of the centres had no discharge protocol. Patients discharged based on protocols have a significantly shorter median length of hospitalization (LOH) (7 (5;10) days vs. 8 (5;12) days) p < 0.001), and a lower rate of readmission due to recurrent AP episodes (p = 0.005). There was no difference in median discharge CRP level among the international cohorts (p = 0.586). HPSG-protocol resulted in the shortest LOH (6 (5;9) days) and highest median CRP (35.40 (13.78; 68.40) mg/l). Safety was confirmed by the low rate of readmittance (n = 35; 5%). Discharge protocol is necessary in AP. The discharge protocol used in this study is the first clinically proven protocol. Developing and testifying further protocols are needed to better standardize patients' care

Hemoadsorption in ‘liver indication’: analysis of 109 patients’ data from the CytoSorb international registry

Background: Our aim is to report the results of the ‘liver indication’ subset of patients in the CytoSorb International Registry. Methods: Structured data were recorded. Treatment characteristics and changes from T1 (start of hemoadsorption) to T2 (termination) were evaluated with a special focus on bilirubin, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, interleukin-6, platelet levels, SOFA scores, mortality, and subjective assessment by the attending physicians. Results: Until January 2021, from the total 1434 patients, 109 (age: 49.2 ± 17.1 years, 57.8% males) received treatment for hyperbilirubinemia. APACHE II-predicted mortality was 49.6 ± 26.8%. In the study, 91% of patients were alive at the termination of hemoadsorption and improvement was observed by the physicians in 75 cases. Overall, 65 (59.6%) patients died in the hospital, and 60 (55.0%) died in the ICU. Patients received a median of two treatments for a median of 43 h (interquartile range: 24–72 h) in total. Serum bilirubin levels reduced significantly to −4.6 (95% CI: −6.329 to −2.8) mg/dL. Thrombocytopenia was reported in four patients as an adverse event. Conclusions: We report the largest case series on hemoadsorption for ‘liver indication’ from the CytoSorb International Registry. The finding of significant bilirubin removal observed in our study could have substantial impact in designing and executing further studies on the effects of hemoadsorption in liver dysfunction, which are certainly warranted

Hypoalbuminemia affects one third of acute pancreatitis patients and is independently associated with severity and mortality

The incidence and medical costs of acute pancreatitis (AP) are on the rise, and severe cases still have a 30% mortality rate. We aimed to evaluate hypoalbuminemia as a risk factor and the prognostic value of human serum albumin in AP. Data from 2461 patients were extracted from the international, prospective, multicentre AP registry operated by the Hungarian Pancreatic Study Group. Data from patients with albumin measurement in the first 48 h (n = 1149) and anytime during hospitalization (n = 1272) were analysed. Multivariate binary logistic regression and Receiver Operator Characteristic curve analysis were used. The prevalence of hypoalbuminemia (< 35 g/L) was 19% on admission and 35.7% during hospitalization. Hypoalbuminemia dose-dependently increased the risk of severity, mortality, local complications and organ failure and is associated with longer hospital stay. The predictive value of hypoalbuminemia on admission was poor for severity and mortality. Severe hypoalbuminemia (< 25 g/L) represented an independent risk factor for severity (OR 48.761; CI 25.276-98.908) and mortality (OR 16.83; CI 8.32-35.13). Albumin loss during AP was strongly associated with severity (p < 0.001) and mortality (p = 0.002). Hypoalbuminemia represents an independent risk factor for severity and mortality in AP, and it shows a dose-dependent relationship with local complications, organ failure and length of stay.Peer reviewe

Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease is associated with Acute Pancreatitis with More Severe Course: Post hoc Analysis of a Prospectively Collected International Registry

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a proven risk factor for acute pancreatitis (AP). However, NAFLD has recently been redefined as metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). In this post hoc analysis, we quantified the effect of MAFLD on the outcomes of AP.We identified our patients from the multicentric, prospective International Acute Pancreatitis Registry of the Hungarian Pancreatic Study Group. Next, we compared AP patients with and without MAFLD and the individual components of MAFLD regarding in-hospital mortality and AP severity based on the revised Atlanta classification. Lastly, we calculated odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using multivariate logistic regression analysis.MAFLD had a high prevalence in AP, 39% (801/2053). MAFLD increased the odds of moderate-to-severe AP (OR = 1.43, CI: 1.09-1.89). However, the odds of in-hospital mortality (OR = 0.89, CI: 0.42-1.89) and severe AP (OR = 1.70, CI: 0.97-3.01) were not higher in the MAFLD group. Out of the three diagnostic criteria of MAFLD, the highest odds of severe AP was in the group based on metabolic risk abnormalities (OR = 2.68, CI: 1.39-5.09). In addition, the presence of one, two, and three diagnostic criteria dose-dependently increased the odds of moderate-to-severe AP (OR = 1.23, CI: 0.88-1.70, OR = 1.38, CI: 0.93-2.04, and OR = 3.04, CI: 1.63-5.70, respectively) and severe AP (OR = 1.13, CI: 0.54-2.27, OR = 2.08, CI: 0.97-4.35, and OR = 4.76, CI: 1.50-15.4, respectively). Furthermore, in patients with alcohol abuse and aged ≥60 years, the effect of MAFLD became insignificant.MAFLD is associated with AP severity, which varies based on the components of its diagnostic criteria. Furthermore, MAFLD shows a dose-dependent effect on the outcomes of AP