Clinical features of acute pancreatitis in the elderly

Abstract

We sought to clarify features of acute pancreatitis in the elderly by retrospectively examining records of 94 patients with this diagnosis admitted to our hospital between April 1997 and December 2004. Thirty patients were over 70 years old (elderly group), while 64 were under 70 (younger group). In the elderly group women predominated (60%), and pancreatitis was caused mainly by biliary tract stones. Severity of symptoms, the causes of pancreatitis did not differ between groups. Blood test results on admission varied with. Laboratory signs of inflammation were less prominent in the elderly than the younger group. The period before intake in the elderly group (10.8±4.4 days) was longer than that in the younger group (7.1±3.1). Hospitalizations were longer in the elderly group (72.2±8.9 days) than in the younger group (41.3±10.1). Intravenous infusion volumes differed considerably between the age-defined groups, reflecting individual patients' diagnosis and specific management.