Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Paracolic gutter exudation (PGE) may influence the severity of acute pancreatitis, but no study has explored it extensively. The objective of this study was to evaluate PGE for assessing the severity of disease. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 488 patients from three tertiary hospitals in Guangxi, China. General clinical information, severity, and clinical courses were recorded. The PGE score were classified as follows: 0 for no exudation, 1 for unilateral exudation, and 2 for bilateral exudation. We used ROC curves to assess the predictive value of the PGE score, and logistic regression analysis to determine risk factors associated with death, ICU admission, and the occurrence of MODS. RESULTS: This study included 352 patients with moderately severe acute pancreatitis (MSAP) and 136 patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). Patients who had PGE experienced higher total hospitalization costs, longer hospital stays, a higher incidence of SAP, higher mortality rates, higher ICU admission rates, a higher incidence of MODS, and higher incidence of infections than those without (P < 0.05). Diagnostic efficacy in predicting severity in patients with MSAP and SAP increased after BISAP, MCTSI, modified Marshall, and SOFA scores combined with PGE score respectively. The PGE score of >1 is an independent risk factor for ICU admission and MODS occurrence. (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The PGE provides reliable and objective information for assessing severity and clinical course of patients with MSAP and SAP.