Prevalence of alcohol dependence syndrome in the patients of acute pancreatitis: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is the main reason for mortality and morbidity. Numerous studies have shown a link between chronic alcohol usage and AP. However, there are few studies on the percentage of patients developing AP as a result of dependent patterns of drinking and associated risk factors. Aim: This study aimed to study the prevalence and impact of risk factors of alcohol dependence syndrome with AP patients hospitalized in tertiary care facilities. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study. Sociodemographic and clinical data were taken from patients with AP after consent. Eighty-five patients with AP who met the inclusion criteria were involved after each participant had clinical evaluation using the modified Marshall score, the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, and the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SAD-Q). The outcomes were tabulated and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Results: 38.8% of patients with AP were found to have features of alcohol dependence syndrome. Higher values of mean corpuscular volume (MCV), serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and uric acid were associated with a greater propensity to have AP. The severity of alcohol dependence syndrome and AP was not associated. Conclusion: AP is potentially a fatal disease. In this study, 38.8% of AP patients had alcohol dependence syndrome. There was no statistical association between the severity of AP and alcohol dependence syndrome, though high values of MCV, SGOT, SGPT, and GGT were at greater risk of developing AP. As a result, alcohol dependence syndrome should be examined in all individuals with AP.