Acute pancreatitis is the cause of more than 200,000 hospital admissions in the United States each year (1). Acute pancreatitis presents very broadly, hence diagnosis can be difficult and requires confirmatory tests. Serum amylase and lipase levels have been established as markers for disease. However, they lack adequate specificity and sensitivity which might make their use insufficient in providing the most accurate diagnosis.
This study aims to investigate whether varying degrees of elevation in lipase and amylase levels can serve as more accurate predictors of acute pancreatitis by histopathology. Additionally, the study seeks to identify other factors that can predict elevated amylase and lipase levels during the hospital course of deceased organ donors, as well as explore the clinical characteristics of donors who have acute pancreatitis based on histopathological examination.
This project will consist of an nPOD chart review to evaluate amylase and lipase levels in critically ill patients as predictors of acute pancreatitis by histology, and other factors that may contribute to elevated amylase/lipase levels such as DKA, renal failure, and GI illness. Our main hypothesis is that if the lipase levels in a person’s blood during their hospital stay are three times higher than the upper normal limit, it could be a good indicator of acute pancreatitis by histopathology. However, if the amylase levels are generally high or if the lipase levels are less than three times the upper normal limit, it may not accurately predict the presence of acute pancreatitis.