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Arch Surg. 2001;136:1210.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

I read with great interest the study by Meek et al¹ in which they concluded that a serum glucose concentration of at least 150 mg/dL (8.3 mmol/L) is the best predictor of complications of gallstone pancreatitis. I have some reservations regarding their conclusions.

A variable that differs significantly between mild and severe pancreatitis is not necessarily a good predictor of severity.² Serum glucose concentration is not a good predictor simply because its positive predictive value (41%) is low. This means that 60% of patients labeled severe according to this variable actually have mild pancreatitis. The false-positive results are too high.

The authors define the complications as severe if the patient was in the intensive care unit (ICU) for more than 24 hours.¹ Some patients with severe pancreatitis are treated outside of the ICU because of their morbid condition or a lack of beds. A prolonged stay in the ICU may . . . [Full Text of this Article]