Objective To investigate the epidemiologic characteristics of patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) and the effects of its complications on prognoses in past 7 years in the north area of Guizhou province. Methods Data of 209 patients with SAP admitted to the Department of Critical Care Medicine of Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College from January 2009 to January2016 were retrospectively analyzed, and they were divided into a survival group (178 cases) and a death group (31 cases) according to the prognosis. The gender, age, diagnosis (primary and recurrent), the length of stay in hospital, the levels of creatinine and total bilirubin (TBil), the time of blood purification, hematocrit (HCT) level on the first day after admission, pathogenesis, complications [infection, pseudocyst, intra-peritoneal hemorrhage, acute renal failure (ARF), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS), pancreatic encephalopathy, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS)], sequential organ failure (SOFA) score (maximum SOFA score during hospital stay), application of hormones, surgical interference, etc. related factors were compared, the SAP epidemiological characteristics, factors affecting prognosis and the effect of complications on prognosis in intensive care unit (ICU) were analyzed in the two groups.Results Of the 209 patients 98 cases were diagnosed biliary pancreatitis accounting for the majority (46.9%), hyperlipidemic pancreatitis 76 cases (36.3%), alcoholic pancreatitis 6 cases (2.8%) and idiopathic pancreatitis29 cases (13.9%). The age (years: 47.1±13.5 vs. 53.2±12.0), creatinine (μmol/L: 109.4±100.3 vs. 335.7±222.4), the ration of intra-peritoneal hemorrhage [4.5% (8) vs. 38.7% (12)], ARF [1.1% (2) vs. 54.8% (17)], ACS [1.1% (2) vs. 9.7% (3)], MODS [18.5% (33) vs. 74.2% (23)] and SOFA score (3.3±2.4 vs. 10.5±5.4), percentage of patients using hormones [5.6% (10) vs. 29.0% (9)] were significantly lowered (allP < 0.05) and the time of blood purification was shortened (days: 1.95±1.97 vs. 4.81±5.84) in survival group than those in death group; while the gender, diagnosis, the length of stay in hospital, TBil, HCT on the first day after admission, pathogenesis, complications (infection, pseudocyst, ARDS and pancreatic encephalopathy) and surgical treatment situation were compared between the two groups, no statistical significant differences were seen (allP > 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that creatinine > 300μmol/L [odds ratio (OR) was 2.651, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.459-3.935,P = 0.017], intra-peritoneal hemorrhage (OR was 5.231, 95%CI was 3.517-7.159,P = 0.000), ARF (OR was 3.731, 95%CI was 2.641-4.857,P = 0.000), ACS (OR was 2.517, 95%CI was 1.003-3.098,P = 0.000), use of hormone (OR was 1.012, 95%CI was 0.825-2.051,P = 0.000) and SOFA score (OR was 3.179, 95%CI was 2.630-6.021 andP = 0.000), MODS (OR was 4.716, 95%CI was 2.086-7.902 andP = 0.031) were the risk factors having critical effects on the prognosis of thedisease, The higher the creatinine level, the worse the prognosis. The mortality of ARF was very high reaching 89.5%; the mortalities of patients with complications as intra-peritoneal haemorrhage, ACS, MODS, pancreatic encephalopathy, AKI, infection, pancreatic pseudocyst and ARDS were as follows: 60.0%, 60.0%, 41.1%, 33.3%, 32.1%, 23.1%, 17.7%, 13.1% respectively.Conclusion Biliary disease andhyperlipidemia are the major causes of SAP in north area of Guizhou province, creatinine > 300μmol/L, intra-peritoneal hemorrhage, ARF, ACS, SOFA score, use of hormones are the independent risk factors leading to poor outcome in patients with SAP and the use of hormones cannot ameliorate the disease situation.