Risk factors associated with early complications in pediatric patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis

Abstract

Introduction and aim

Acute pancreatitis is a rare condition in pediatric patients, but there has been a considerable increase in cases and complications in recent years that, according to the literature, may reach up to 30% of cases. The present study aimed to determine whether the variables of sex, age group, etiology, nutritional status, lipase level, albumin level, and leukocyte count were associated with the development of early complications in pediatric patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis.

Materials and methods

A retrospective study was carried out at the Hospital para el Niño Poblano, within the time frame of July 2014 and July 2024. The medical records of patients from 0 to 17 years 11 months of age, who met the diagnostic criteria for acute pancreatitis, were analyzed. JASP software was utilized for the statistical analysis, applying odds ratio (OR) to identify possible risk factors.

Results

A total of 143 patients were included, with a slight predominance of females (51%, n = 73). Of the local complications, pancreatic necrosis was documented in 16% (n = 23) and acute peripancreatic fluid collection in 12.6% (n = 18). The most frequent complications were cardiac (51.75%), renal (31.47%), pulmonary (18.18%), and metabolic (16.08%).

Conclusion

Significant risk factors for the development of early complications in pediatric patients with acute pancreatitis were identified. These findings may support early assessment of disease severity and guide timely interventions.