WE8.4 Acute Pancreatitis during COVID-19 Pandemic: An Overview of Patient Demographics, Disease Severity, Management and Outcomes in Western Health and Social Care Trust (Altnagelvin Area Hospital)

Abstract

BackgroundAcute pancreatitis is a common disease requiring admissions under surgical and critical care units. The two most common causes are alcohol and gallstones. COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on service delivery and patient management throughout all surgical specialties. In this study, primary aim was to ascertain incidence of COVID-19 in acute pancreatitis patients.MethodsA retrospective observational review of all patients admitted under General Surgical team from March 2020 till September 2020 was performed. Information regarding demographics, severity of acute pancreatitis (using Glasgow score, Atlanta classification and CT severity index score), ICU admission and organ support, treatment modalities and follow-up data for outcomes was collected.ResultsForty four (44) patients were admitted with acute pancreatitis. Only one patient (2.3%) was diagnosed with COVID-19 at time of pancreatitis. Aetiology of pancreatitis was found comparable to aetiology reported by large scale studies (2). Mortality was 7% (3 patients). Five patients (11%) needed ICU admission due to organ dysfunction. Three patients (7%) developed ARDS.ConclusionsThe overall incidence of COVID-19 in pancreatitis in our population of study was low. Therefore, results were compared to patients who were COVID-19 negative in COVID-PAN study. Patients with acute pancreatitis in our target population were mostly elderly, about one in five had moderate to severe or severe pancreatitis and in 16.3% the aetiology could not be identified. As has been observed in other centres globally, urgent for gallstone pancreatitis faced significant delays with no patients being offered index cholecystectomy and only 4/19 patients having undergone interval cholecystectomy.