Universal Journal of Public Health Vol. 5(4), pp. 151 - 156
DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2017.050403
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Is Prior Aspirin Use Associated with Reduced Severity in Patients with Acute Pancreatitis?

Alvin Lim ¹, Vasudha Iyengar ^1,2, Daniel Terry ², Rafiqul Islam ^1,2,*
1 Goulburn Valley Health, Australia
² Department of Rural Health, the University of Melbourne, Australia

ABSTRACT

Clinical severity of Acute Pancreatitis (AP) following the use of Aspirin is inconclusive in previous studies. This study investigated predicting the severity of AP using Ranson criteria at admission and at 48 hours and, the length of hospital stay by prior aspirin use. Medical records of first-presentation AP patients during the five years between 2010 and 2015 were examined in the Goulburn Valley Base Hospital, Victoria, Australia. Uses of aspirin at admission with some co-morbidity, Ranson criteria at admission and at 48 hours, duration of hospital stay including other information were collected. A total of 245 AP medical records were reviewed, of them, 178 used and 67 did not use aspirin prior attending to the hospital. In simple regression analysis, Ranson score was 60% higher at admission (P< 0.001) and 64% higher at 48 hours (P <0.01) among aspirin users compared to non-aspirin users. These findings remained statistically significant after adjusting for other potential indicators. Aspirin use was also found associated with a longer hospital stay both in the unadjusted and adjusted analysis (P<0.01). Further studies using revised Atlanta classification instead of Ranson scoring for the diagnosis of AP severity in aspirin users are critical for clinical guidance.

KEYWORDS
Aspirin, Acute Pancreatitis, Ranson Score

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Alvin Lim , Vasudha Iyengar , Daniel Terry , Rafiqul Islam , "Is Prior Aspirin Use Associated with Reduced Severity in Patients with Acute Pancreatitis?," Universal Journal of Public Health, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 151 - 156, 2017. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2017.050403.

(b). APA Format:
Alvin Lim , Vasudha Iyengar , Daniel Terry , Rafiqul Islam (2017). Is Prior Aspirin Use Associated with Reduced Severity in Patients with Acute Pancreatitis?. Universal Journal of Public Health, 5(4), 151 - 156. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2017.050403.