title: Organ failure associated with acute pancreatitis in African-American and Hispanic patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We studied the relationship between acute pancreatitis and organ failure in African-American and Hispanic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 760 (417 African-American and 343 Hispanic) patients aged 19-85 years diagnosed with acute pancreatitis over 15 years were reviewed retrospectively. We abstracted and analyzed data related to demographics, etiology, type of pancreatitis, organ failure and mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 760 patients, 24% had organ failure. Of the 182 patients with organ failure, 125 patients (69%) had multiple organ failure, whereas 57 patients (31%) had single type. Cardiovascular system failure was the common organ dysfunction (28%). Of the 760 patients, 14% died. Patients with organ failure had a higher mortality (40%) compared with those without it (6%) (OR=9.6, 95% CI: 6.0-15.3) (P=0.001). Mortality was higher among those with multiple organ failure (46%) compared with those with single type (25%). Mortality was highest among those with pulmonary failure (57%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of organ failure in our study was slightly higher than the general population (20%). Mortality from single type was higher than that reported in previous studies (8-11%), especially mortality from pulmonary failure (18%). Prevention, early diagnosis and prompt treatment of organ failure may improve the clinical outcome.
authors.affiliation: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, 2594 Industry Way, Lynwood, CA 90262, USA. magdashaheen@cdrewu.edu
authors.forename: Magda A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Shaheen
authors.forename: Abbasi J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Akhtar
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers