Abstract
The limited regional data on acute pancreatitis in Kazakhstan highlights the need for a systematic epidemiological analysis. The aim of the study is to assess hospitalization indicators for acute pancreatitis and its complications in the Karaganda region over a five-year period (2020–2024).Data from the Electronic Register of Inpatient Patients, Form No.14, comprising 10,417 hospitalization cases, were analyzed. Descriptive statistical methods were applied (χ² test, Kruskal–Wallis test, Spearman’s correlation analysis, and the Kaplan–Meier method for survival analysis). The hospitalization rate in the region ranged from 143.86 to 191.81 per 100,000 population, with a peak in 2022. No statistically significant differences by sex were found (phi = 0.065), while the majority of hospitalized patients were of working age (66.1%). The predominant form of the disease was idiopathic pancreatitis (K85.0), whereas biliary and alcohol-related forms were less common but showed distinct age-specific patterns. The average length of hospital stay was 4–10 days in 81.3% of patients. Mortality was 1.74%, increasing to 2.12% in 2024. Over the five-year period, hospitalization ratesin the Karaganda region fluctuated without a stable upward or downward trend. This study fills a gap in the regional epidemiological assessment of acute pancreatitis in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The findings have scientific and practical significance for the healthcare system and emphasize the need for enhanced monitoring of high-risk groups, including elderly patients with biliary forms and young patients with alcohol-induced pancreatitis. Keywords: acute pancreatitis, epidemiology, seasonality, hospitalization rates, mortality.