Abstract
Acute pancreatitis (AP), chronic pancreatitis (CP) and cystic fibrosis are frequent causes of disturbed function of thepancreas. Currently, there is insufficient data on the prevalence of disturbed function of the pancreas and its managementwith pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy in Indian clinical practice. A questionnaire-based survey was conductedacross 8 Indian cities involving 63 gastroenterologists who provided their opinions by completing 30-question surveyforms based on their experience with treating 15 patients each with disturbed function of the pancreas. Data werecollected, compiled, analyzed, and presented as frequency and percentage of physicians. According to 50% of thegastroenterologists, 5%-15% of patients presented with symptoms of disturbed pancreatic function every month in theirclinical practice, with common symptoms being abdominal pain (61.9%) and indigestion (38.1%). Pancreatic enzymereplacement therapy (PERT) was the most preferred treatment with 87.3% of specialists recommending it. Acombination of amylase, protease, and lipase was prescribed for patients with symptoms like steatorrhea, indigestion, andabdominal pain by 30.2%, 27.0%, and 25.4% of gastroenterologists, respectively, with 46.0% of the specialistsprescribing them for an average duration of 4-12 weeks. Most gastroenterologists (65.1%) opined that 15,000 units oflipase dosing were very beneficial as compared to 10,000 units. In conclusion, findings from this survey indicate that acombination of amylase, protease, and lipase may be beneficial in patients with disturbed function of the pancreas,especially in those with symptoms of steatorrhea or indigestion; nevertheless, counseling, diet, economic assistance,lifestyle modification, and regular follow-up of patients are warranted.
Published Version
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