Table 2.
Presenting symptoms and comorbidities in patients with pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, and results of adjusted univariable analysis of their association with initiation of PERT and clinical response
| Variable | Patients with PEI, n=182, n (%) | Association with initiation of PERT, OR (95% CI)a | Association with clinical response to PERT, OR (95% CI)a |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presenting symptoms | |||
| Abdominal pain | 91 (50.0) | 1.30 (0.70–2.40) | 1.01 (0.29–3.50) |
| Diarrhoea | 126 (69.2) | 0.78 (0.40–1.49) | 0.79 (0.21–3.00) |
| Weight loss | 84 (46.2) | 1.60 (0.85–3.01) | 6.83 (1.23–37.93)b |
| Steatorrhoea | 31 (17.0) | 2.54 (1.06–6.09)b | 2.94 (0.57–15.23) |
| Bloating | 37 (20.3) | 1.11 (0.52–2.36) | 0.47 (0.13–1.75) |
| Flatulence | 6 (3.3) | 0.30 (0.05–1.74) | 0.04 (0.002–0.93)b |
| Comorbidities | |||
| Chronic pancreatitis | 21 (11.5) | 4.13 (1.31–13.02)b | 3.06 (0.34–27.66) |
| Pancreatic cancer | 5 (2.75) | 3.97 (0.42–37.29) | n/a |
| Upper GI surgery | 16 (8.79) | 1.37 (0.47–4.04) | 0.22 (0.04–1.16) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 64 (35.2) | 2.21 (1.11–4.42)b | 0.54 (0.14–2.07) |
| Alcohol excess | |||
| Previous | 25 (18.5) | 3.18 (1.04–9.71)b | 0.68 (0.11–4.34) |
| Current | 27 (20.0) | 1.47 (0.56–3.88) | 4.52 (0.36–56.73) |
| Smoking | |||
| Previous | 24 (18.3) | 0.73 (0.27–2.01) | 4.39 (0.19–102.25) |
| Current | 44 (35.6) | 1.43 (0.60–3.38) | 1.10 (0.20–6.11) |
Reference categories for alcohol excess and smoking are ‘never’.
a = adjusted for age, sex and ethnicity;
b = p<0.05; CI = confidence interval; GI = gastrointestinal; n/a = not applicable; OR = odds ratio; PEI = pancreatic exocrine insufficiency; PERT = pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy.