Table I

Clinical features of patients with and without hyperamylasemia during acute gastroenteritis


Hyper amylasemia
Normal amylasemia


Variables
N = 50 (>115 U/L)
N = 457 (≤ 115 U/L)
O.R.a
C.I. 95% b

Sex (M/F)
21/29
203/254
0.9
0.4–7.9
Mean age (range)
41.8 ± 20.15 (10–80)
41.4 ± 19.1 (4–92)
(-)
(-)
Antibiotic therapy before
9 (18%)
63 (13.7%)
1.3
0.5 – 3.0
admission




Number
9.2 ± 5.8
7.5 ± 4.7 *
(-)
(-)
evacuations/day




Duration evacuations
3.17 ± 3.9
3.48 ± 5.3
(-)
(-)
before admission (days)




Fever > 38°C
40 (80.0%)
258 (56.4%) **
3.0
1.4–7.0
Vomiting
36 (72.0%)
287 (62.8%)
1.5
0.7–3.1
Abdominal pain
45 (90.0%)
395 (86.4%)
1.4
0.5–4.7
Severity score:




Grade 1
10 (6.0%)
160 (94%) °
1.0

Grade 2
36 (11.5%)
278 (88.5%) °
2.1
Grade 3
4 (17.3%)
19 (82.7%) °
2.5

Dehydration
9 (18%)
39 (8.5%) *
2.0
0.8–4.8
Potential predisposing




factors




Cholelithiasis or
15 (30.0%)
49 (10.7%) **
3.5
1.6–7.3
previous




cholecystectomy




Chronic gastritis and/or
11 (22.0%)
47 (10.2%) *
2.4
1.0–5.3
duodenal ulcer





* P < 0.05; ** P < 0.01;a, O.R. = Odds ratio; b C.I = Confidence interval 95%, ° Chi-square for linear trend 4.3, P < 0.05.

Tositti et al. BMC Infectious Diseases 2001 1:18   doi:10.1186/1471-2334-1-18