ABSTRACT
Recently, an international symposium on acute pancreatitis developed a clinically based classification system for acute pancreatitis that classifies its local complications into three groups [sterile necrosis [SN], infected necrosis [IV] and pancreatic abscess [PA]]. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic and therapeutic utility of applying this clinical classification to a group of surgical patients with local complications from acute pancreatitis. Twenty-two patients with locally complicated pancreatitis were managed and classified into three groups [sterile necrosis [SN], infected necrosis [IN] and pancreatic abscess]. Ranson's score, APACHE-II score and computed tomography [CT] grading were calculated within the first 48 hours of admission. Information about the patients' demographics, timing of intervention, bacteriology, blood loss, intensive care unit days, ventilator days and morbidity and mortality were also reviewed and analyzed. It was found that the clinical classification had both therapeutic and prognostic utility. The adoption of this system should allow for a standardization of interinstitutional data and provide a framework for more accurate and precise communication between clinicians