Acute Pancreatitis During and After Pregnancy: Incidence, Risk Factors, and Prognosis

Background Acute pancreatitis may complicate pregnancy and both are associated with gallstones, but its incidence is not well known. Aims To validate hospital discharge records in diagnosing acute pancreatitis and gallstones and to evaluate acute pancreatitis incidence in non pregnant, pregnant and after delivery using hospital discharge records Methods We identified all hospital discharge records of hospitalized Sicilian women of childbearing age (2011–2016). We determined agreement between 300 hospital discharge records and hospital records in diagnosing acute pancreatitis and gallstones. Acute pancreatitis incidence, prognosis, and their relationship with age and gallstones were calculated in the three groups using hospital discharge records. Results There was 92% and 88% agreement in diagnosing acute pancreatitis and gallstones between hospital discharge and hospital records. In non pregnant, 1,564 of 7,236,863 women-years (21.61/100,000 person-years) developed acute pancreatitis. During pregnancy, 34 of 226,492 women-years developed acute pancreatitis (20.02/100,000 person-years). Postpartum acute pancreatitis incidence was higher than non pregnant, only in the first 2 years with the peak in the first semester (95.4/100,000 person-years). The increased incidence of postpartum acute pancreatitis was associated with gallstones in youngest women (gallstones acute pancreatitis in women below 20 years old versus non pregnant: rate ratios 16.61; 95% CI 8.40–32.87). Conclusions Agreement in acute pancreatitis and gallstones diagnosis between hospital discharge and hospital records was accurate. Acute pancreatitis incidence was increased only in the first 2 years after delivery in young women with gallstones.