Objective  To investigate the effect of glucocorticoids on the prognosis and inflammatory markers of patients with acute severe pancreatitis (SAP).

Methods  A retrospective collection was performed for SAP patients diagnosed and treated in the Department of General Hepatobiliary Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2020 to January 2023. SAP patients were divided into GC group and non-GC (NGC) group according to whether they used glucocorticoids (GC) or not. The two groups were compared with general data, inflammatory markers [neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), platelet- lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic inflammatory index (SII) and C-reactive protein- albumin ratio (CAR)], clinical events [continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), vasoactive drugs, ICU stay, total length of stay and survival)], and complications (organ failure, electrolyte imbalances, gastrointestinal bleeding and infection). Kaplan-Meier curve analysis of the relationship between GC and death in SAP patients. Logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between GC and death and organ failure.

Results A total of 84 patients with SAP, 40 in the GC group and 44 in the NGC group were included in the study. After treatment, NLR, MLR, PLR, SII and CAR in the GC group were significantly lower than those in the NGC group (P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the GC and NGC groups in CRRT treatment, vasoactive drug use, surgery, ICU stay, total length of stay, electrolyte imbalance, gastrointestinal bleeding, pancreatic pseudocyst, abscess formation, pancreatic encephalopathy, and infectious complications (P>0.05); The mortality rate and organ failure incidence of patients in the GC group were significantly lower than those in the NGC group (P<0.05). The results of multivariate regression showed that the use of GC was an independent protective factor for death [OR=0.243, 95%CI (0.062, 0.948), P=0.042] and organ failure [OR=0.401, 95%CI (0.165, 0.976), P=0.044] in SAP patients.

Conclusion  GC can reduce the mortality rate and organ failure rate of SAP patients without increasing the incidence of additional complications, and has a high safety profile.

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