UEG LINK Award from the National Societies to HaPanEU: Harmonising the diagnosis and treatment of Pancreatitis across EUrope.

Abstract

The strengthening of the National Societies during the organisational evolution within UEG has also created a wish to demonstrate UEG's ability to work across countries in a truly European context. Ideally, this should also result in a common clinical practice. To serve these needs, the LINK Award was established, providing resources for these kinds of international projects. As one of the first LINK-awarded projects, HaPanEU received funding in a two-stage process where two national societies support such a project. Proposing HaPanEU was a very natural thing as several momentums came together: chronic pancreatitis is rather under diagnosed with a high burden of disease. Recently, a new pancreatic function test, the breath test with 13 C-labelled mixed triglycerides (MTG-BT), became available, while the new data question the current use of the faecal elastase-1 test. Furthermore, as it is practice in some large European centres, diagnosing both pancreatitis and visualising the function with secretin-stimulation during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), is pending an assessment and standardisation. Beyond these three diagnostic tests, treating chronic pancreatitis, especially the resulting pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI), had to be revisited: we are looking at PEI no longer as an isolated organ defect whose deficiency can be treated by enzyme replacement but as a cause malnutrition with all the consequences, including secondary diseases such as osteoporosis due to vitamin deficiencies. The HaPanEU consortium was called into action, thanks to the support of the German (DGVS) and Swedish (SGF) National Societies. We could rely on existing tight networks from the European Pancreas Club that is also supporting the initiative and Pancreas 2000. We could further take into account the recent national guidelines for (chronic) pancreatitis and PEI, e.g. from Germany, Italy, Belgium with all the responsible pancreatologists joining HaPanEU. The National Societies brought in further experts. The aim of HaPanEU is to come forward with recommendations that are feasible in all member states, therefore harmonisation. We wish to produce minimal requirements for some and suggested clinical standards for other parts of the programme. In line with the recent IAP/APA guidelines for acute pancreatitis, the GRADE system was adapted. Furthermore, the resulting questions and consensus statements will be sent out to another group of experts, independent from the initial group for review and comments. The programme is rather advanced: during UEG Week in Barcelona, we will vote on the statements and then send them out for review. The goal is to publish HaPanEU during 2016 in UEG Journal. J-Matthias Löhr Swedish Gastroenterology Society (SGF), on behalf of HaPanEU Karolinska Institutet, Center of Digestive Diseases, Stockholm, Sweden Get an update on this project during the National Societies Symposia on Chronic pancreatitis at UEG Week in Barcelona on Tuesday from 14:00 to 15:30 in Hall A1! For more information on UEG award schemes and the LINK award, visit https://www.ueg.eu/awards-grants !