Epidemiology of Acute Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an important public health problem. It ranks among the most common causes of hospitalizations for gastrointestinal illnesses. In 2014, in the USA, there were 351,526 emergency room visits, 279,145 inpatient hospitalizations, and 1840 in-hospital deaths from AP with a total expenditure for inpatient care of $2.64 billion [1]. A number of population-based and large single or multicenter studies have clarified various aspects of the epidemiology of AP. The use of standardized definition and classification of severity proposed by the Revised Atlanta Classification in 2012 has brought uniformity to reporting and made it easier to compare results between studies [2]. Well-conducted systematic reviews and meta-analyses help in synthesizing information from published literature while highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. In this chapter, we have attempted to use information from population-based studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses as much as possible. The chapter is organized into a discussion of population trends, the impact of demographic and socioeconomic factors, relevant discussion of individual etiologies or risk factors, and the sequelae of AP. Finally, we review the concept of holistic prevention of pancreatitis and its application in disease prevention [3].