Red cell distribution width as a predictor of mortality in acute pancreatitis.

INTRODUCTION: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common cause for hospitalization worldwide. Identification of patients at risk for mortality early in the course of AP is an important step in improving outcome. Red cell distribution width (RDW) is reflective of systemic inflammation. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between RDW and mortality in patients with AP. METHODS: A total of 102 patients with AP were included. Demographic data, etiology of pancreatitis, organ failure, metabolic disorder, hospitalization time, and laboratory measures including RDW were obtained from each patient on admission. RESULTS: Estimating the receiver operating characteristic area under the curve showed that RDW has very good discriminative power for mortality (area under the curve = 0.817; 95% confidence interval, 0.689-0.946). With a cutoff value of 14.8 for RDW, mortality could be correctly predicted in approximately 77% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Red cell distribution width on admission is a predictor of mortality in patients with AP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]