Introduction: Cannabis has been a well-recognized etiology of acute pancreatitis (AP) over last decade with some controversies. With increased availability of cannabis for recreational and medicinal purposes in managing chronic pain, it is essential to evaluate potential risk to multi-organ system. However, there is scarcity of large-scale data on the burden and risk of AP and subsequent acute kidney injury (AKI) among cannabis users.
Methods: Using weighted discharges from the National Inpatient Sample (2016-2019), young (18-44 years) patients primarily admitted for AP with concomitant cannabis use disorder (CUD) were identified. Primary endpoints included odds and trends in AP with vs. without CUD, subsequent trends in AKI with associated sex/racial disparities and all-cause mortality. Secondary endpoints included patient disposition, hospital stay, and cost.
Results: Of total 395,215 AP admissions, 29,815 (7.5%) were among patients with CUD. Crude rate of AP in CUD cohort was slightly higher vs. non-CUD admissions (n=29,815, 1.4 % vs. n=365,400, 1.1%), however, with slightly lower odds when adjusted for confounders (aOR 0.94, 95%CI:0.90-0.97, p< 0.001). The AP-CUD cohort often consisted of younger (median 33 vs 35 years), male (67.5% vs. 53.9%), blacks (28.9% vs 17.6%), patients from lowest income quartile, Medicaid enrollees vs. non-CUD cohort. Alcohol abuse, smoking, and drug abuse were significant higher in the AP-CUD cohort. Rate of AKI in AP-CUD cohort was 7% vs 6.5 % in non-CUD. Interestingly, among AP-CUD cohort, the rate of AKI was higher in males (8.3%, ptrend =0.092) vs females (4.3%, ptrend =0.104) with steady trends. The burden and trend of AKI in AP-CUD cohort was higher in Hispanics (Hispanic 9.3%, black 8.6%, white 5.6%; H: 9.1% in 2016 to 11.9% in 2017 ptrend< 0.004) (Figure 1). There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality between CUD and non-CUD cohorts (aOR 0.40; 95%CI:0.16-1.03, p=0.058). Routine discharges and median length of stay were comparable between cohorts (3 days) with an average cost was $25,724 in the AP-CUD cohort.
Discussion: There was a higher crude rate of AP admissions in the young CUD cohort, however, when adjusted for confounders, CUD was not independently associated with higher risk of AP, subsequent inpatient mortality, or rising trends in AKI. Hispanics demonstrated concerning trends in AKI. Future studies are warranted assessing long-term impact of polysubstance use on AP admissions and outcomes.
