Outcomes of Acute Pancreatitis Hospitalizations with Obesity.

Objective: Assessing the relationship of body mass index (BMI) on acute pancreatitis (AP) hospitalization in the United States (US).
Methods: The National Inpatient Sample utilized to capture normal weight, overweight, and obese AP hospitalization in the US during 2020 based on BMI. Patients, hospitalization characteristics, and outcomes were compared.
Results: In 2020, there were 53,000 (20%) obese, 3980 (2.6%) overweight, and 210,000 (77.4%) normal weight AP hospitalizations. All-cause inpatient mortality was similar for obese, and overweight compared to normal weight AP hospitalizations, respectively (0.65% vs 0.63% vs 0.6%). Furthermore, obese AP hospitalization had a higher chance of developing systemic [odds ratio (OR): 1.7, confidence interval (CI) (1.35-2.12)], and needing intubation or vasopressor requirement OR: 1.75, CI (1.14-2.68), compared to normal AP patients. However, overweight AP hospitalizations had similar chance of developing systemic OR: 1.1, CI (0.83-1.38) and local complication OR: 1.14, CI (0.88-1.5), needing intubation or vasopressor requirements OR: 1.27, CI (0.73-2.23) except use of jejunostomy tube was higher OR: 1.74, CI (1.1-2.75) compared to normal weight AP hospitalizations. The mean length-of-stay and mean total healthcare costs were higher among obese by 2.14 days (CI 0.9-3.37), p = 0.001 and by US$ 21,626, CI (4379-38,872), p = 0.014 compared to normal weight AP hospitalizations.
Conclusions: Obese and overnight AP hospitalizations had similar inpatient mortality compared to normal weight hospitalizations. Obese AP hospitalizations have higher complications and healthcare utilization compared to normal weight hospitalizations.
Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests. Consent to participate: Not applicable.
(© 2025. The Author(s).)