Meaning of prognostic factors in patients with acute pancreatitis.

The aim of the study was to investigate reliability of Ranson's prognostic factors in our 43 patients with acute pancreatitis during a ten year period (1984-1993). Based on the retrospective analysis and Ranson's prognostic factors, the patients were divided into groups and severe form of pancreatitis. The patients with less than 3 prognostic factors were classified into the mild form group. The patients who had 3 or more Ranson's factors were considered as having the severe form of the disease. Sixty percent of the patients with severe form of the disease survived. All the patients who died (2 females and 7 males) had more than 6 Ranson's prognostic factors and died within 15 days from admission to hospital. Of the patients who died, eight had been operated on for multiorgan injury. None of the patients with mild form of the disease died. The prognosis of the outcome of pancreatitis with severe complications and of death mode, on the basis of Ranson's factors, was found to be more certain when more factors were present.