The incidence rate of FAAP is low and differs from that of official registries. The case fatality rate is low, but related to gender, age, and likely etiology of FAAP.

Background: A proportion of patients with acute pancreatitis develop severe organ dysfunction requiring admittance in an intensive care unit. Patient characteristics associated with ICU admittance were evaluated in this consecutive series of patients. Methods: The clinical course of patients with first attack of acute pancreatitis in urban Norway between 01.01.1996 and 31.12.2006 was reviewed. Patient characteristics, comorbidity, pre hospital delay and likely aetiology of acute pancreatitis were analysed as risk factors for ICU admittance. Results: This study includes 565 patients, 299 women and 266 men (p = 0.089), with a median age of 60 years (range: 17 -98). 50 (9%) of the patients were admitted to the ICU. Men were more at risk than women for ICU admittance (OR 2.34; 95% CI: 1.27 -4.32). Patients with alcohol associated pancreatitis (OR 5.94; 95%, CI: 2.61 -13.53), miscellaneous aetiologies (OR: 2.81, 95% CI: 1.02 -7.73) and non-assessed aetiology (OR 2.71, 95%, CI: 1.26 -5.82) were more at risk of ICU admittance than patients with bile stones associated pancreatitis. Pre hospital delay increased the risk of ICU admittance amongst patients with alcohol associated pancreatitis (OR 4.23; 95%, CI: 1.11 -16.18). Two comorbid conditions conveyed increased risk (OR 8.78; 95%,). The case fatality rate was 24% in the ICU and 1.6% in the ward (OR 20.01, 95% CI: 7.71 -51.93). Conclusions: Aetiology of acute pancreatitis, especially alcohol, pre-hospital delay and male gender are associated with increased of risk of ICU admittance and increased fatality rate during first attack of AP.

Patients with prosthetic heart valves have a reduced platelet adhesiveness and a high incidence of arterial thromboembolic episodes. Therefore 148 patients with aortic ball valve prostheses were chosen for an antithrombotic study. They received either one gm. of ASA or placebo in combination with anticoagulants. In two years, 15 bleeding episodes developed in those taking ASA, seven during the first month. Two had intracranial hemorrhage, one died, while the others recovered completely. Six episodes occurred in the placebo group, three intracranial complications caused two deaths. The higher incidence of bleeding in the combined group was entirely due to gastrointestinal hemorrhage. In both groups, the occurrence and severity of bleeding correlated to the intensity of anticoagulant therapy. Low platelet adhesiveness also predisposed to bleeding.

pression given was that there was no causal relation. All the diverticula were distended with semisolid fecal matter.