Acute pancreatitis is a serious condition where the pancreas becomes inflamed over a short period of time. Pancreatitis is a disease in which the pancreas becomes swollen and inflamed. During pancreatitis, the digestive enzymes of the pancreas become activated before they are released into the intestine and begin attacking the pancreas itself.
How is pancreatitis diagnosed?
To diagnose acute pancreatitis, doctors measure levels in the blood of two digestive enzymes, amylase and lipase. High levels of these two enzymes strongly suggest acute pancreatitis.
People with acute pancreatitis are typically treated with IV fluids and pain medications in the hospital. In some patients, the pancreatitis can be severe and they may need to be admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU). In the ICU, the patient is closely watched because pancreatitis can damage the heart, lungs, or kidneys. Some cases of severe pancreatitis can result in death of pancreatic tissue. In these cases, surgery may be necessary to remove the dead or damaged tissue if an infection develops. An acute attack of pancreatitis usually lasts a few days. An acute attack of pancreatitis caused by gallstones may require removal of the gallbladder or surgery of the bile duct. After the gallstones are removed and the inflammation goes away, the pancreas usually returns to normal.
Chronic pancreatitis can be difficult to treat. Doctors will try to relieve the patient's pain and improve the nutrition problems. Patients are generally given pancreatic enzymes and may need insulin. A low-fat diet may also help. ERCP may be done to place stent in the pancreas and to remove stones. Surgery may be done in some cases to help relieve abdominal pain, restore drainage of pancreatic enzymes or hormones, treat chronic pancreatitis caused by blockage of the pancreatic duct, or reduce the frequency of attacks. Patients must stop smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages, follow their doctor's and dietitian's dietary advice, and take the proper medications in order to have fewer and milder attacks of pancreatitis.