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Pediatrics

Noninvasive Urine-Based Test Shows Promise for Diagnosing Pediatric Acute Pancreatitis

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Pediatric acute pancreatitis (AP) is a growing clinical concern that affects children of all ages. Traditional diagnostic methods are often invasive and challenging to use in children, which can lead to incorrect diagnoses and delayed treatment. A recent study published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition has evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of a noninvasive urine trypsinogen-2 dipstick test (UTDT) for pediatric AP.

Key Takeaways:

  • The UTDT demonstrated an overall sensitivity of 68% and specificity of 100% for diagnosing pediatric AP, with sensitivity increasing to 87% when urine samples were collected within 24 hours of admission.
  • The UTDT is a rapid and noninvasive diagnostic tool that may serve as an alternative to invasive blood tests once validated through larger-scale studies.
  • The study included 28 pediatric patients (31 episodes) presenting with acute abdominal pain at a tertiary medical center from November 2022 to October 2024.
  • The International Study Group of Pediatric Pancreatitis: In Search for a Cure (INSPPIRE) criteria were used to diagnose AP, and serum amylase and lipase levels were calculated and compared to UTDT results.
  • The UTDT consistently produced negative results in non-AP cases, with high specificity supporting its reliability in distinguishing AP from other conditions.

Statistics:

  • 28 pediatric patients (31 episodes) were included in the study.
  • 19 (61%) of the episodes were confirmed as AP, and 12 (39%) were attributed to other causes.
  • The UTDT sensitivity increased to 87% when urine samples were collected within 24 hours of admission.
  • The UTDT had an overall sensitivity of 68% and specificity of 100%.
  • The study was conducted at the Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in Israel.

Sources:

  • Utility of a noninvasive urine-based test for diagnosing acute pancreatitis in children. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 2025;81(3):683-689.
  • Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition can be contacted at: Wiley, 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, NJ, USA. (www.lww.com; journals.lww.com/jpgn/pages/default.aspx)

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