Manoranjan Ujjaini Dhananjayappa1, Nikhil Suresh2, Durganna Timappa3
BACKGROUND - AIMS Acute pancreatitis, a routine surgical emergency encountered, intensity of treatment depends on proper prognostic indicators to assess the severity of the disease. The present study investigated the use of C-reactive protein (CRP) as prognosticator of the severity of the disease.
METHODS Fifty-eight patients with acute pancreatitis were studied. Serum samples for measurement of CRP were collected on the day of admission and additionally on the 5th day, CT Balthazar scoring was done in each of the cases and severity assessed.
RESULTS The mean serum CRP in people with mild pancreatitis was 39 U/L and that in those suffering with severe pancreatitis was 127.93, this difference was statistically significant (p<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
Measurement of CRP levels seem to be an accurate method in order to assess the extent and persistence of the inflammatory process and progression of acute pancreatitis to severity and complications.
