[Clinical characteristics of acute pancreatitis in Mexico]. / Características clínicas de la pancreatitis aguda en México.

BACKGROUND: Acute pancreatitis (AP) etiology and frequency vary in relation to geographic region. AIMS: To determine the etiology, frequency, and mortality of AP in a Mexican population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We carried out a prospective study of first episode AP patients over a period of 6 years. RESULTS: A total of 605 patients with a mean age of 40 years were included in the study. Sixty-four percent of them presented with overweight and/or obesity determined through BMI. Etiology was biliary in 66.60%, it was due to alcohol consumption in 15.90%, hypertriglyceridemia in 7.80%, it was post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in 2.10%, and was undetermined in 7.20%. Pancreatic infection was suspected in 70 patients and they underwent CT-guided fine needle aspiration. Thirty-two of those patients were diagnosed with pancreatic infection in which Staphylococcus spp was the most common microorganism. Overall mortality was 5.00% (2.60% < 30 years and 10.00% > 70 years). Necrosis, pancreatic infection, and mortality were more frequent in the cases in which etiology was due to alcohol ingestion. CONCLUSIONS: The most frequent AP etiology was biliary, but that caused by alcohol presented with more complications. Overall mortality was 5.00% and was higher in the elderly patients.