The harmless acute pancreatitis score (HAPS) identifies non-severe patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: We previously described a scoring system to identify patients with harmless acute pancreatitis as defined by absence of pancreatic necrosis, no need for artificial ventilation or dialysis, and non-fatal course. This scoring system, the Harmless Acute Pancreatitis Score (HAPS), can be quickly calculated from three parameters: absence of abdominal tenderness or rebound, normal hematocrit and normal creatinine level. We aim to assess the positive predictive value (PPV) of the HAPS by performing a meta-analysis of subsequently published studies.

The Duesseldorf warning signs for primary immunodeficiency: is it time to change the rules?

Objective: Different sets of warning signs can be used if primary immunodeficiency (PID) is suspected: those of the Jeffrey Modell Foundation (JMF), the German Patients' Organisation for Primary Immunodeficiencies (DSAI) and the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF). A few studies have tested the JMF criteria, with unconvincing results, but the diagnostic models of the DSAI and AWMF have not been tested at all. We set out to establish the utility of these three scoring systems and compare them with our own set of five warning signs (Duesseldorf criteria).

Acute pancreatitis.

Acute pancreatitis, an inflammatory disorder of the pancreas, is the leading cause of admission to hospital for gastrointestinal disorders in the USA and many other countries. Gallstones and alcohol misuse are long-established risk factors, but several new causes have emerged that, together with new aspects of pathophysiology, improve understanding of the disorder. As incidence (and admission rates) of acute pancreatitis increase, so does the demand for effective management.

Genotype-phenotype and genotype-origin correlations in children with mediterranean fever in Germany - an AID-net study.

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is the most inherited common autoinflammatory disease (AID) with mutations in the MEFV (MEditerraneanFeVer) gene.The Mor- and Pras-Score modified for children and C-reactive protein (CRP) were used to assess FMF disease severity in Germany. We evaluate the applicability of the 2 severity scores and the correlations between ethnic origin, phenotype, and genotype.