Higher alcohol withdrawal seen in acute pancreatitis patients living in vulnerable areas

Patients with acute pancreatis who are residing in areas with higher Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) ranks are more likely to withdraw from alcohol use, according to a study.

This study explored the association of SVI and its constituent 16 attributes in four domains (socioeconomic status, household composition and disability, minority status and language, and housing type and transportation) with outcomes in acute pancreatitis patients.

A total of 824 patients with acute pancreatitis (mean age 53 years, 48.2 percent females) hospitalized between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2021, with available demographic and clinical outcome data, were included in the analysis. 

The investigators geocoded the physical addresses of the participants to determine the SVI, a composite variable which was ranked and divided into quartiles, with IV representing the highest vulnerability.

Overall, 993 acute pancreatitis-related hospitalizations were recorded. A significant association was seen in patients residing in communities with higher SVI, a higher prevalence of no/federal/state insurance (p<0.001), and underserved ethnic/racial background (p<0.001).

Alcohol withdrawal also showed a significant association with living in areas with higher SVI despite adjustments for age, BMI, and comorbidities (odds ratio, 1.62, 95 percent confidence interval, 1.19–2.22; p=0.003). In contrast, SVI was not associated with severity of acute pancreatitis, inpatient opioid use, length of stay, 30-day admission rate, and mortality.

“We noted significantly higher alcohol withdrawal in patients residing in areas with higher SVI ranks, despite no differences in severity of acute pancreatitis, inpatient opioid use, length of stay, 30-day admission rate, and mortality,” the investigators said.