Neutrophil-Creatinine Index in Patients with Acute Pancreatitis: Assessment of Severity and Outcome

Acute pancreatitis is a disease that usually has a mild disease course. However, around 20-30% of the patients develop severe complications. Persistent organ failure, with or without the presence of local complications such as (peri-) pancreatic necrosis and secondary infections, is the main determinant for mortality, and these patients are classified as having severe acute pancreatitis according to the revised Atlanta classification . The most widely used classification systems for determining the severity and course of AP are the revised Atlanta classification and the Bedside Index of Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP). According to the revised Atlanta classification, the severity of AP is graded as mild acute pancreatitis (MAP), moderately severe acute pancreatitis (MSAP), or severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) . In addition to the revised Atlanta classification and BISAP, several other prognostic scoring systems and classifications have been developed to predict the severity of AP. Ranson's criteria, the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score, the Modified Glasgow Prognostic Score, and the Balthazar index are other commonly used prognostic systems . Most of these scoring systems include multiple determinants or parameters that must be noted 24 to 48 h after hospitalization, and the estimation of the severity of AP is delayed until 48 h after hospitalization. Thus, these scoring systems are of limited use at admission. On the other hand, in view of the complexity of prognostic scoring systems, several studies have been conducted on the role of simple laboratory parameters and indices in predicting the disease severity of AP and mortality . The most widely studied laboratory parameters and indices are the white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil count, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin. These laboratory parameters have also been used as part of several pro