Pleuropulmonary pathologies in the early phase of acute pancreatitis correlate with disease severity

PLoS One. 2022 Feb 7;17(2):e0263739. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263739. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Background: Respiratory failure worsens the outcome of acute pancreatitis (AP) and underlying factors might be early detectable.

Aims: To evaluate the prevalence and prognostic relevance of early pleuropulmonary pathologies and pre-existing chronic lung diseases (CLD) in AP patients.

Methods: Multicentre retrospective cohort study. Caudal sections of the thorax derived from abdominal contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT) performed in the early phase of AP were assessed. Independent predictors of severe AP were identified by binary logistic regression analysis. A one-year survival analysis using Kaplan-Meier curves and log rank test was performed.

Results: 358 patients were analysed, finding pleuropulmonary pathologies in 81%. CECTs were performed with a median of 2 days (IQR 1-3) after admission. Multivariable analysis identified moderate to severe or bilateral pleural effusions (PEs) (OR = 4.16, 95%CI 2.05-8.45, p<0.001) and pre-existing CLD (OR = 2.93, 95%CI 1.17-7.32, p = 0.022) as independent predictors of severe AP. Log rank test showed a significantly worse one-year survival in patients with bilateral compared to unilateral PEs in a subgroup.

Conclusions: Increasing awareness of the prognostic impact of large and bilateral PEs and pre-existing CLD could facilitate the identification of patients at high risk for severe AP in the early phase and thus improve their prognosis.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Cohort Studies
  • Comorbidity
  • Disease Progression
  • Europe / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lung Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Lung Diseases / etiology
  • Lung Diseases / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mortality
  • Pancreatitis / complications
  • Pancreatitis / diagnosis*
  • Pancreatitis / epidemiology*
  • Pancreatitis / pathology
  • Patient Acuity
  • Pleural Diseases / diagnosis
  • Pleural Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Pleural Diseases / etiology
  • Pleural Diseases / pathology
  • Prevalence
  • Prognosis
  • Respiratory Insufficiency / diagnosis
  • Respiratory Insufficiency / epidemiology
  • Respiratory Insufficiency / etiology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Survival Analysis
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Grants and funding

The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.