Acute Pancreatitis: Symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatment of Acute Pancreatitis

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Acute Pancreatitis
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Acute Pancreatitis

• Acute Pancreatitis is sudden swelling and
  inflammation of the pancreas. It is accompanied
  by severe abdominal pain. Acute Pancreatitis
  usually resolves itself within a few days with
  treatment but can be life-threatening with severe
  complications. This condition usually develops
  from gallstones or moderate to heavy alcohol
  consumption over a period of years.

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Causes of Acute Pancreatitis

• Most cases of acute pancreatitis are caused by
  gallstones and alcoholhowever in some cases the
  cause is unknown. Other causes of acute
  pancreatitis include
• Autoimmune problems
• High levels of triglycerides
• Damage to pancreas during surgery
• Blockage of pancreatic duct or common bile duct
• Certain medications such as estrogens, corticoster
  oids and thiazide diuretics
• Viral infections such as mumps
• Heredity
• Reyes syndrome

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Symptoms

• The main symptom for acute pancreatitis is
  abdominal pain felt in the upper left side or
  middle of the abdomen. This pain
• Typically last for days and is relieved by
  leaning forward
• Radiates to the back or below the left
  shoulder-blade
• Worsen when lying flat on the back
• Appears suddenly and becomes constant and more
  severe
• Feels worse after eating
• Other symptoms include
• Jaundice
• Clay coloured stools
• Swollen abdomen

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Symptoms
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• Indigestion
• Skin rash
• Skin lesions
• Gaseous abdominal fullness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Rapid pulse
• Fever

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Test and diagnosis of acute pancreatitis

• To diagnose this disease, the doctor will ask
  for your medical history. He will also do
  a physical examination that may reveal
• Abdominal tenderness or mass
• Rapid heart beat
• Rapid breathing
• Low blood pressure
• He may also order blood tests which include
  a complete blood count and a comprehensive metabol
  ic panel (it provides the overall picture of your
  body's chemical balance and metabolism). Imaging
  tests may also be done. These include Abdominal
  ultrasound to check for inflammation

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Test and diagnosis of acute pancreatitis
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• CAT scan to check for gallstones and extent
  of damage to the pancreas
• MRI to show the pancreas, gallbladder, and
  pancreatic and bile ducts.
• Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) to create visual
  images of the pancreas and bile duct.
• Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
  (ERCP) to remove stones from the bile duct if
  your condition is caused by gallstones. It can
  also be used to treat some causes of pancreatitis.

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Treatments

• Treatment usually requires hospitalization for
  intravenous fluids, antibiotics and pain
  medications. A tube may be inserted through the
  nose or mouth to remove stomach contents if you
  vomiting or have severe pain that does not
  improve. In severe cases, the patient may require
  nasogastric feeding in which a special feed is
  given through a thin long tube inserted through
  the nose and throat and into the stomach. This
  may be done for several weeks until the pancreas
  heals. If no complications occur, most cases of
  pancreatitis resolves itself within a few
  days. In some cases fluid around the pancreas
  may be collected, gallstones may be removed or
  blockages of the pancreatic duct may be relieved.
  In more severe cases, surgery may be needed to
  remove dead or infected pancreatic tissues.
  Before leaving the hospital, patient may be
  advised not to smoke, drink alcoholic beverages,
  or eat fatty meals.

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