Treatment of mild exacerbations of recurrent alcoholic pancreatitis in an emergency department observation unit.

摘要: Patients with mild exacerbations of recurrent alcoholic pancreatitis are occasionally treated in the emergency department observation unit parenteral hydration and analgesia hopes avoiding hospitalization. To determine whether such treatment is efficacious cost-effective, we reviewed 27 consecutive admissions to for exacerbation previously documented pancreatitis. For comparison, studied randomly selected, matched patients admitted directly hospital. Of unit, 14 (52%) improved sufficiently discharge less than 24 hours (group A; mean duration observation, 14.4 hours); other 13 (48%) required continued hospitalization B; average length stay, 7.5 days). The group hospital C) had a stay 5.8 days (difference not significant). variety parameters compared, only serum amylase values differed significantly between three groups. A cutoff 300 U/dl would have correctly identified all (sensitivity 100%), though relatively low specificity (60%). We conclude that there may be subset pancreatitis, identifiable by level, who benefit from trial management an unit.