William Cambridge

Project Title: Resolution of Organ Dysfunction in Acute Pancreatitis – First Descriptive Analysis of a Prospective Clinical Cohort

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a debilitating condition caused by sudden inflammation of the pancreas. The incidence of AP has increased tremendously in recent decades, with the annual incidence of cases in the United Kingdom sitting at around 30 per 100,000 people. Unfortunately, in a number of patients with AP, a host of inflammatory events can lead to organ dysfunction and failure, resulting in severe AP, organ failure that persists for at least 48 hours, and in more serious cases, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS).

The Resolution of Organ Injury in Acute Pancreatitis (RESORP) study, aims to investigate the long-term outcomes of patients diagnosed with AP. My summer project focused on completing the first descriptive analysis of this cohort of patients, describing their demographics, aetiologies, and early outcomes. The project also aimed to identify the variables which most predicted the development of severe AP and MODS, to allow for the focusing of early medical interventions.

The Carnegie Trust Vacation Scholarship not only provided me with the opportunity to complete this project, but also allowed me to delve deeper into academia and my surgical speciality of interest. I have come away from the project with a greater understanding of the world of research, new skills with regards to clinical trial design, statistics, and coding, and with clear objectives for my future career.

William was a Carnegie Vacation Scholar in Summer 2020, supervised by Professor Damian Mole, Department of Clinical Surgery, University of Edinburgh.