To analyze the clinical value of lactate dehydrogenase to albumin ratio (LAR) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the early diagnosis and prognostic assessment of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). A retrospective study was conducted on 98 cases of acute pancreatitis patients. These patients were divided into two groups based on the severity of their condition: non-SAP group (n=68) and SAP group (n=30). Spearman correlation analysis was utilized to investigate the correlation of LAR and IL-6 with the bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis (BISAP). Patients in the SAP group exhibited significantly higher LAR values and IL-6 levels compared to those in the non-SAP group (P<0.05). The APR and IL-6 of SAP patients were significantly positively correlated with BISAP scores (R=0.758, P<0.001) (R=0.660, P<0.001). The diagnostic AUC of LAR and IL-6 for SAP were 0.742 (P<0.001) and 0.749 (P<0.001), respectively. The Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that LAR and IL-6 were independent risk factors for SAP (P<0.05). The levels of LAR and IL-6 in the death subgroup were significantly higher than those in the survival subgroup (P<0.05). The diagnostic AUC of LAR and IL-6 for poor prognosis of SAP were 0.971 (P<0.001) and 0.713 (P=0.055), respectively. LAR was an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in SAP patients (P<0.05). Patients with SAP may exhibit abnormally elevated levels of LAR and IL-6. LAR and IL-6 are closely associated with the severity of the patient's condition, which can be applied in the diagnosis of SAP.