Methemalbumin in acute pancreatitis: an evaluation of its prognostic value and comparison with multiple prognostic parameters.

Methemalbumin (MHA) and Ranson's prognostic parameters were measured in 90 patients with acute pancreatitis. Thirteen died (14.4%). The mortality rate was 36% in MHA-positive versus 6.2% in MHA-negative patients. Severe renal (56% vs 18.5%) and pulmonary (44% vs 10.2%) complications occurred more frequently in the MHA-positive as compared with the MHA-negative group. Hemorrhagic pancreatitis was found in all MHA-positive patients who were subject to surgery or postmortem examination. By way of comparison, the presence of more than four Ranson signs was associated with about the same risk of mortality and the development of complications as positive MHA findings. There was a good correlation between single and multiple prognostic factors for slight but not for moderate-severe or severe cases.