Long-term health-related quality of life in survivors of severe acute pancreatitis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQL) and postdischarge outcome after severe acute pancreatitis.


METHODS
Observational study in a department of surgery (surgical and general intensive care unit) in a tertiary care hospital.


METHODS
Of 283 patients with severe acute pancreatitis 211 survived; during a follow-up period an additional 27 died. The Rand 36-item Health Survey with accessory question was mailed to 174 eligible patients. The final study population comprised 145 patients (83% response rate). Age- and sex-matched Finnish population scores were compared with the study population; accessory questions were analyzed separately.


RESULTS
No clinically significant differences were found in long-term HRQL between study patients and the general population. Of the 145 patients 87% returned to work, 27% suffered recurrent pancreatitis, and 43% developed diabetes. Of 113 patients with alcohol-induced severe acute pancreatitis 30% were abstinent and 28% problem drinkers, alcohol-dependent, or alcoholics.


CONCLUSIONS
Up to 13% of severe acute pancreatitis patients surviving initial hospitalization die within a few years. Among the survivors long-term HRQL is comparable to that of the normal population. The majority return to work and reduce their alcohol consumption markedly.
Halonen
Kimmo I
KI
Department of Gastroenterological and General Surgery, Meilahti Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital, P.O. Box 340, 00029 Helsinki, Finland. kimmo.halonen@hus.fi
Pettilä
Ville
V
Leppäniemi
Ari K
AK
Kemppainen
Esko A
EA
Puolakkainen
Pauli A
PA
Haapiainen
Reijo K
RK
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000145:classification* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016019:Survival Analysis