The role of C-reactive protein testing in predicting the severity of acute pancreatitis

Abstract

Background: Acute pancreatitis is a common gastrointestinal disease and timely severity stratification is crucial in reducing the mortality and morbidity of the patients. Many markers have been studied for their role as a single predictor of the severity of the disease. Our study is aimed to evaluate the performance of C-reactive protein (CRP) testing as a single biomarker in predicting the severity of acute pancreatitis. Methods: Retrospective observational study with data collection and content analysis design. Patients were divided according to the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE II) score into two categories, mild and severe. CRP testing was obtained within 48 h of hospital admission. Results: Our results showed that out of 99 patients, 82 patients had a mild attack of acute pancreatitis, while 17 patients had a severe form of the disease. The mean CRP level of patients with severe acute pancreatitis was significantly higher than the mean CRP level of patients with the mild form of the disease. There was a fair agreement between CRP level and the APACHE II score. Conclusion: C-reactive protein (CRP) test obtained within 48 hours of hospital admission is a helpful tool in predicting the severity of acute pancreatitis.