Why the study?
Hypertriglyceridemia-associated acute pancreatitis has been linked with increased severity and morbidity, motivating measurement of triglyceride levels to establish its incidence in an Australian center.
What is the incidence of hypertriglyceridemia-associated acute pancreatitis and is it associated with increased severity and ICU admission?
What is the incidence of hypertriglyceridemia-associated acute pancreatitis and is it associated with increased severity and ICU admission?
Hypertriglyceridemia-associated acute pancreatitis accounts for 4% of acute pancreatitis cases but is associated with a markedly higher risk of ICU admission, and intravenous insulin with fasting appears effective for acutely lowering triglycerides.
May support triglyceride screening on AP admission; leaves open optimal management strategies pending larger prospective data.
Background: Hypertriglyceridemia-associated acute pancreatitis (HTGAP) has been linked with increased severity and morbidity. In this study, triglyceride levels were measured in all patients admitted with acute pancreatitis (AP) to establish the incidence of HTGAP in an Australian center. Methods: A prospective cohort with AP was collated over an 18-month period in a single tertiary referral hospital. HTGAP was defined as AP with triglycerides ≥ 11.2 mmol/L (1000 mg/dL). Incidence, clinical co-morbidities, severity and management strategies were recorded. Results: Of the 292 episodes of AP, 248 (85%) had triglycerides measured and were included. HTGAP was diagnosed in 10 of 248 (4%) AP cases. Type 2 diabetes, obesity, alcohol misuse and gallstones were common cofactors. The HTGAP group demonstrated severe hypertriglyceridemia compared to the non-HTGAP group (median 51 mmol/L vs. 1.3 mmol/L). Intensive care unit (ICU) admissions were significantly increased (odds ratio (OR) 16; 95% CI 4–62) in the HTGAP group (5/10 vs. 14/238 admissions, p < 0.001) and constituted 26% (5/19) of total ICU admissions for AP. Four patients received intravenous insulin with fasting and had a rapid reduction in triglyceride levels by 65–77% within 24 h; one patient had mild hypoglycemia secondary to therapy. Conclusion: HTGAP occurred in 4% of AP cases and was associated with higher risk of ICU admission. Intravenous insulin and fasting appear safe and efficacious for acutely lowering triglyceride levels in HTGAP.
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Tan et al. (2020) studied this question.
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