S9 Does Access to Alcohol Matter? Association of Alcohol Outlet Access With Hospitalization for Acute Pancreatitis

Abstract

Introduction: Alcohol is among the leading causes of acute pancreatitis. We aimed to evaluate the association of admissions for alcoholic pancreatitis and access to alcohol based upon residence within a zip code and county. Methods: Admissions for acute alcoholic pancreatitis were reviewed from 2015 to 2021 within our hospital network. Our analysis included only Pennsylvania residents, as it is an alcoholic beverage control state in which spirits are only sold in state owned stores. Data was collected regarding demographics, including zip code and county of residence. Results: A total of 415 admissions amongst 216 patients were included from 15 counties and 107 zip codes within Pennsylvania. Liquor stores per counties included range from 1 to 74; admissions per counties included range from 1 to 219 (Table 1). Liquor stores per zip codes included range from 0 to 4; admissions per zip codes included range from 1 to 8. In a univariable linear regression model, there is a strong correlation between admissions per county and stores per county, with R^2 = 0.96. This was redemonstrated in a chi-squared analysis with P < 0.05. The liquor stores per zip code did not have a strong correlation to admissions per zip code in a linear regression model. Conclusion: Our data suggests a significant relationship between the number of liquor stores within a county and patients admitted for acute alcoholic pancreatitis from that county. We suspect that increased access to alcohol may influence the rates of admission. It may be prudent for counties with more liquor stores to also have more resources for patients with alcohol use disorders, as these may prevent hospitalizations, and ultimately complications of acute alcoholic pancreatitis.Table 1.: Number of admissions per county for alcohol induced acute pancreatitis within our healthcare network in relation to number of liquor stores within those counties