Evaluation of patient-reported outcome in subjects treated medically for acute pancreatitis: a follow-up study

Aims: To explore the quality of life in patients treated medically during the acute phase of pancreatitis as well as at 2 and 12 months after discharge from the hospital.

Patients: 40 patients were studied. The etiology of the pancreatitis was biliary causes in 31 patients and non-biliary causes in 9; mild disease was present in 29 patients and severe disease in 11. 30 patients completed the two surveys at 2 and 12 months after hospital discharge.

Methods: The SF-12 and EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaires were used for the purpose of the study.

Results: The two physical and mental component summaries of SF-12, all the domains of EORTC QLQ-C30 (except for physical functioning and cognitive functioning) and some symptom scales of EORTC QLQ-C30 (fatigue, nausea/vomiting, pain, and constipation) were significantly impaired during the acute phase of pancreatitis. There was a significant improvement in the SF-12 physical component summary, and global health, role functioning, social functioning, nausea/vomiting, pain, dyspnea, and financial difficulties (EORTC QLQ-C30) at 2 months after discharge as compared to the basal evaluation. Similar results were found after 12 months except for the mental component score at 12-month evaluation, which was significantly impaired in acute pancreatitis patients in comparison to the norms. The physical functioning of the EORTC QLQ-C30 at basal evaluation was significantly impaired in patients with severe pancreatitis in comparison to patients with mild pancreatitis.

Conclusions: Two different patterns can be recognized in the quality of life of patients with acute pancreatitis: physical impairment is immediately present followed by mental impairment which appears progressively in the follow-up period.