EP.FRI.353 Repeat Amylase in Acute Pancreatitis

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Acute pancreatitis is a common reason for acute surgical admission, with an annual incidence of 56 per 100,000 UK population. Studies have demonstrated that whilst serum amylase measurement is useful as a diagnostic tool, it has no correlation with disease severity, and its measurement after diagnosis has limited value. The aim of this audit was to review the practice of obtaining repeat serum amylase levels in patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis in two district hospitals within the same health board. Secondary outcome was to gain up-to-date demographic information on the patient cohort. Methods This was a retrospective study, which reviewed records of those patients admitted with pancreatitis over a one-year period (January 2019 – December 2019). Electronic records were evaluated to check if serum amylase was repeated after diagnosis. Data on demographics, underlying cause and the use of CT for diagnosis were also collected. Results 174 patients were admitted during the study period, of which 53% (92) had their serum amylase inappropriately repeated. 14% (24) of cases were diagnosed using CT imaging. There was a 0.74:1 male to female ratio with an average age of 53. 51% of cases were caused by gallstones, 15% were caused by alcohol and 28% of cases had no identified cause. Conclusions Validated scoring systems remain the accepted method of predicting acute pancreatitis severity. This study highlights the frequent practice of inappropriately repeating serum amylase measurement in patients already diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. It also highlights the importance of CT scanning as a diagnostic tool.