Abstract:Objective To investigate the effects of thoracic epidural block (TEB) on analgesia and renal function in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).Methods A total of 80 patients with SAP who were enrolled at Nanjing BenQ Hospital and Jiangsu Provincial People's Hospital from July 2022 to July 2025 were selected. Using the envelope method, they were randomly divided into an intravenous group (n = 40) and a TEB group (n = 40). The intravenous group received intravenous sufentanil analgesia, whereas the TEB group received thoracic epidural block analgesia. Vital signs, pain and disease severity, inflammatory factors, renal function indices, and adverse events were compared between the two groups.Results Heart rate and respiratory rate were lower and the oxygenation index was higher in the TEB group than in the intravenous group (P < 0.05). After treatment, visual analog scale and Ranson scores were lower in the TEB group than in the intravenous group (P < 0.05). Interleukin-6, interleukin-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α levels were lower in the TEB group (P < 0.05). Serum creatinine, uric acid, and blood urea nitrogen levels were also lower in the TEB group than in the intravenous group (P < 0.05). The incidence of adverse events did not differ significantly between the two groups (P > 0.05).Conclusion TEB effectively relieves pain and reduces inflammation in patients with SAP and has a protective effect on renal function.