Acute Pancreatitis at Jos University Teaching Hospital.

Abstract

The incidence of acute pancreatitis in this tropical setting is much lower (1.4 cases/13,775 hospital admissions/year) than the figures from the developed countries, granted that some cases may be lost to misdiagnoses. A total of fifteen cases of acute pancreatitis seen at Jos University Teaching Hospital over a period of ten years (April 1987 to March 1997) were reviewed retrospectively. There were thirteen males and two females (M:F = 6:5:1)with a mean age of 41 years(range 27 to 65 years.Alcohol accounted for 10(66.6%)cases; two (13.3%) cases occurred in HIV positive otherwise normal patients; one patient had gallstone; one(6.7%) patient was a diabetic and one (6.7%) case occurred post-splenectomy for splenic abscess. Majority,13(86.7%)were diagnosed at laparatomy for acute abdomen. Peritoneal lavage and fresh frozen plasma (FFP)transfusion were found beneficial. There were three deaths (20% mortalities). We believe that with a high index of suspicion and judicious use of diagnostic armamentaria more cases of acute pancreatitis could be diagnosed in our environment which are presently being missed.