Qilin Cao, Shady Barsoom, Aziz M Merchant
These demographic disparities highlight the need for prompt identification of vulnerable populations at risk for developing pancreatitis-related complications. Further research is needed to understand the underlying factors contributing to these associations and to inform targeted interventions.
INTRODUCTION: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a disease that creates a significant medical and financial burden in the United States. Despite improved treatment, prominent disparities exist in the etiologies and outcomes of AP between patients' race, income, and insurance status.
METHODS: Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample between 2015 and 2020, this study examined associations between race, socioeconomic factors, and the etiologies and outcomes of AP. It also evaluated the relationship between comorbidities and adverse AP outcomes. We stratified AP etiology as idiopathic, biliary, alcohol-induced, or drug-induced. We used SPSS for demographic analysis and logistic regression, and SAS for comorbidity analysis.
RESULTS: We found prominent racial and socioeconomic differences in the AP etiologies, with Black patients and Medicaid patients more likely to experience alcohol-induced pancreatitis and the Hispanic population more likely to experience biliary pancreatitis. Variations in outcomes such as mortality, length of stay, and ICU admission were also observed. The presence of comorbidities, including congestive heart failure and pulmonary circulation disorders, was associated with variations in these outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS: These demographic disparities highlight the need for prompt identification of vulnerable populations at risk for developing pancreatitis-related complications. Further research is needed to understand the underlying factors contributing to these associations and to inform targeted interventions.