Smoking Is Associated with Worse Clinical Outcomes in Chronic Pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking is a known risk factor for progression of chronic pancreatitis (CP). AIM: We compare clinical outcomes of CP patients with current or former smoking with those who have never smoked. METHODS: We reviewed all patients with followed at our Pancreas Center from 2016 to 2021, comparing the demographics, clinical features, comorbidities, outcomes, and resource utilization between smokers and non-smokers. RESULTS: Of 439 CP patients, 283 were smokers (125 current, 158 former). Significantly more smokers were men (58.3% vs 40.4%), with alcoholic CP (45.5% vs 12.1%), chronic abdominal pain (77.7% vs 65.4%), anxiety and depression (22.6% vs 14.1% and 38.9% vs 23.1%), and with more local pancreatic complications [splanchnic vein thrombosis (15.7% vs 5.13%), pseudocyst (42.7% vs 23.7%), biliary obstruction (20.5% vs 5.88%)], exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (65.8% vs 46.2%), hospitalizations (2.59 vs 1.75 visits), and emergency department visits (8.96% vs 3.25%). Opioid and neuromodulator use were significantly higher (59.2% vs 30.3% and 58.4% vs 31.2%). Current smokers had worse outcomes than former smokers. Multivariate analysis controlling for multiple factors identified smoking as an independent predictor of chronic abdominal pain (OR 2.49, CI 1.23-5.04, p = 0.011), opioid (OR 2.36, CI 1.35-4.12, p = 0.002), neuromodulators (OR 2.55, CI 1.46-4.46, p = 0.001), and non-opioid-controlled medications (OR 2.28, CI 1.22-4.30, p = 0.01) use, as well as splanchnic vein thromboses (OR 2.65, CI 1.02-6.91, p = 0.045) and biliary obstruction (OR 4.12, CI 1.60-10.61, p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: CP patients who smoke or formerly smoked have greater morbidity and worse outcomes than non-smokers.

Pre-existing, Concurrent/Early-Onset, and Late-Onset Diabetes in Chronic Pancreatitis: Do Outcomes Differ?

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Diabetes secondary to endocrine insufficiency in chronic pancreatitis (CP) may develop at any time during the disease course. We sought to evaluate the differences in clinical characteristics and outcomes in CP patients with pre-existing, early-onset, and late-onset diabetes. METHODS: We reviewed CP patients seen at our Pancreas Center during 2016-2021. We divided them into four groups: those without diabetes, with pre-existing diabetes, with early-onset diabetes, and with late-onset diabetes. We then compared clinical characteristics and outcomes. RESULTS: We identified 450 patients with CP: 271 without diabetes, 99 with pre-existing diabetes, 51 with early-onset diabetes, and 29 with late-onset diabetes. Early-onset diabetics were younger (54.1 vs 57.3 vs 62.5 vs 61.9 years), had more alcohol-related CP (45.1% vs 31.7% vs 32.3% vs 31%), had higher HbA1C levels (8.02% vs 5.11% vs 7.71% vs 7.66%), were more likely to be on insulin (78.4% vs 0% vs 48.4% vs 65.5%), and used more opioids (64.7% vs 43.9% vs 55.1% vs 44.8%) and gabapentinoids (66.7% vs 43.5% vs 48% vs 60.7%) compared to other groups (p < 0.05). Patients who developed diabetes after CP diagnosis had more exocrine insufficiency (72.4% vs 70.6% vs 65.7% vs 53.1%), anatomical complications, and interventions for pain control (p < 0.05). There was no difference in pancreatic cancer in the four groups. CONCLUSION: CP patients who are younger and use alcohol are at higher risk of having early-onset diabetes and have poorer glucose control compared other CP patients. Patients who develop diabetes after CP diagnosis have worse outcomes and use more resources.

The association of hourly second-stage documentation with cesarean delivery and maternal blood loss.

PURPOSE OF THE ARTICLE: Cesarean rates and maternal morbidity increase with the duration of the second stage of labor. We studied the effect of hourly evaluation and documentation during the second stage of labor on maternal and fetal outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of all women who delivered at our urban, tertiary care hospital and underwent a second stage of greater than 60 min between 1 June 2016 and 31 May 2019. There were 1498 patients with complete data. Four hundred forty patients had hourly evaluation and documentation throughout the second stage and 1058 did not. We performed t-tests, Chi-squared, and regression analyses to compare cesarean delivery rate, second-stage duration, quantitative blood loss, hemorrhage and blood transfusion rates, and fetal outcomes. We performed regression analyses to evaluate for independent effect of this intervention on each outcome. RESULTS: Patients with hourly evaluation and documentation had a decreased likelihood of cesarean delivery (8.2% vs. 20.3%, p < .001), shorter second-stage of labor (98.1 min vs. 177.5 min, p < .001), decreased quantitative blood loss (514.4 mL vs. 667.7 mL, p < .001), and hemorrhage rate (12.5% vs. 19.9%, p < .001). Hourly evaluation was associated with decreased transfusion rates (3.2% vs. 5.6%, p = .05) but was not related to the number of units transfused. Regression analyses confirmed the impact of hourly documentation when potential confounders were included. These differences in outcomes were also noted when evaluation was performed and documented within every 75 min. Hourly second-stage evaluation and documentation did not affect other maternal or infant morbidities. CONCLUSION: Hourly evaluation and documentation in the second stage was associated with decreased cesarean delivery rate, second-stage duration, quantitative blood loss, hemorrhage, and transfusion.