Morphologic Severity of Acute Pancreatitis on Imaging Is Independently Associated with Opioid Dose Requirements in Hospitalized Patients

Background: Prior studies have evaluated clinical characteristics associated with opioid dose requirements in hospitalized patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) but did not incorporate morphologic findings on CT imaging. Aims: We sought to determine whether morphologic severity on imaging is independently associated with opioid dose requirements in AP. Methods: Adult inpatients with a diagnosis of AP from 2006 to 2017 were reviewed. The highest modified CT severity index (MCTSI) score and the daily oral morphine equivalent (OME) for each patient over the first 7 days of hospitalization were used to grade the morphologic severity of AP and calculate mean OME per day(s) of treatment (MOME), respectively. Multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate the association of MOME with MCSTI. Results: There were 249 patients with AP, of whom 196 underwent contrast-enhanced CT. The mean age was 46 ± 13.6 years, 57.9% were male, and 60% were black. The mean MOME for the patient cohort was 60 ± 52.8 mg/day. MCTSI (β = 3.5 [95% CI 0.3, 6.7], p = 0.03), early hemoconcentration (β = 21 [95% CI 4.6, 39], p = 0.01) and first episode of AP (β = − 17 [95% CI − 32, − 2.7], p = 0.027) were independently associated with MOME. Among the 19 patients undergoing ≥ 2 CT scans, no significant differences in MOME were seen between those whose MCTSI score increased (n = 12) versus decreased/remained the same (n = 7). Conclusion: The morphologic severity of AP positively correlated with opioid dose requirements. No difference in opioid dose requirements were seen between those who did versus those who did not experience changes in their morphologic severity.