title: Global survey of controversies in classifying the severity of acute pancreatitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The need to accurately classify the severity of patients with acute pancreatitis is widely acknowledged but some questions pertinent to this remain debatable. The aim of this study was to benchmark opinions of pancreatologists worldwide with regard to the issues related to classifying the severity of acute pancreatitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  An online survey was conducted using an independent commercial service. The corresponding authors of all articles pertinent to clinical aspects of acute pancreatitis published over the last 5 years were invited to participate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 528 invitations were sent and 240 (45%) responses from 49 countries, representing all the inhabited continents, were received. The Atlanta approach to classifying the severity of acute pancreatitis was considered adequate for modern clinical practice and clinical research by 40 (17%) of the respondents. The determinants-based approach to classifying the severity of acute pancreatitis was considered adequate for modern clinical practice and clinical research by 188 (78%) and 191 (80%) of the respondents, respectively. The definitions of local and systemic determinants of severity were also clarified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Classifying the severity of acute pancreatitis on the basis of Atlanta approach was considered inadequate by the overwhelming majority of respondents. An international consensus on the new classification of severity of acute pancreatitis has to take into account the results of this survey.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. max.petrov@gmail.com
authors.forename: Maxim S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Petrov
authors.forename: Santhi Swaroop
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Vege
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Windsor
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D035843:Biomedical Research; D006801:Humans; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000209:etiology; D009336:Necrosis / Q000209:etiology; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000145:classification* / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index