ACUTE PANCREATITIS in HELSINKI in 2016-2018: INCIDENCE, ETIOLOGY and RISK FACTORS - analysis of 1378 acute pancreatitis episodes in a Finnish normal population.

OBJECTIVES: Updated population-based studies on acute pancreatitis (AP) in Finland are lacking. Our aim was to evaluate the current data for AP in Helsinki. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed an electronic health care records (EHRs) search on AP patients treated at Helsinki University Hospital between the years 2016 - 2018. Incidence was calculated, etiological and potential risk factors, as well as severity of AP were documented and analyzed. RESULTS: Between 2016 and 2018 we found 1378 AP episodes on 1084 patients, 35% of the patients had several AP episodes, i.e., recurrent AP (RAP). The domicile-adjusted incidence was 42.2/100 000. 47% of the patients had alcohol etiology (59% men, 27% women) and 23% had biliary etiology, 21% were idiopathic and 2.9% were post-ERCP pancreatitis. 13.1% of the patients had passed at the end of September 2021. 45% of the patients were currently smoking, 11% were ex-smokers, and the highest percentage of smokers was in the group of alcohol-caused AP with 74% ever-smokers. Biliary AP had the highest amount of overweight patients. 24% of the patients used anticoagulation (AC) medication, and the percentage was significantly higher with idiopathic AP (48%). RAP, female sex and normal BMI associated with a mild form of AP. CONCLUSIONS: Incidence of AP and the percentage of alcohol etiology are lower than earlier reported for Finland although still higher than in other Nordic countries. Smoking and the use of AC medication associate with AP.