Acute pancreatitis is a serious disease of the pancreas, an organ and gland in the upper abdominal area. It is characterized by a sudden and severe inflammation of the pancreas and can be life-threatening and led to other serious complications.
The pancreas produces and secretes digestive enzymes that help to digest food. These enzymes flow from the pancreas through the pancreatic duct into the small intestine, where they become active and break down food. In pancreatitis, inflammation causes these digestive enzymes to become active while still in the pancreas where they begin to digest the pancreas itself.
Acute pancreatitis is often caused by alcohol abuse or gallstones. Less commonly it may also be caused by a reaction to medications, abdominal trauma, pancreatic cancer, duodenal ulcer, genetic deformities of the pancreas, and other conditions.
This process leads to the symptoms of acute pancreatitis that typically includes severe abdominal pain. People with acute pancreatitis are also at risk for developing chronic pancreatitis. Other complications of acute pancreatitis include diabetes, malabsorption, hemorrhage, and organ failure, which can be serious, even life threatening, and result in additional symptoms. For more details on symptoms, refer to symptoms of acute pancreatitis.
Making a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis begins with taking a thorough medical history, including symptoms and history of alcohol use. A physical examination is also performed, which usually reveals severe tenderness of the upper abdomen.
Diagnostic testing includes blood tests to measure the amount of chemicals called lipase and amylase in the blood. Levels of amylase and lipase can be very high in acute pancreatitis.
Imaging tests may include an abdominal ultrasound and CT scan, which can reveal gallstones, one of the causes of pancreatitis. CT scan may also show damage or calcification of the pancreas, a sign of chronic pancreatitis. Other tests that help to visualize the pancreas and related structures, such as the bile ducts and the gallbladder, include endoscopic ultrasound and MRI.
It is possible that a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis can be missed because symptoms may be attributed to other conditions with similar symptoms. For more information on misdiagnosis, refer to misdiagnosis of acute pancreatitis.
The treatment for acute pancreatitis involves a multifaceted approach. Treatment plans vary depending on the severity of the symptoms, the presence of complications, and an individual's medical history. Acute pancreatitis is treated in the hospital and includes the intravenous administration of antibiotics, fluids, and pain medications, and monitoring for the development of complications. For more information on treatment, refer to treatment of acute pancreatitis. ...more »
Acute Pancreatitis: The rapid-onset of inflammation of the pancreas which can have serious complications in severe cases. Severe cases require surgery - often more than one surgery may be needed. ...more »
The types and severity of symptoms of acute pancreatitis vary between individuals depending on a variety of factors, such as age, general health, medical history, and the presence of complications. Acute pancreatitis is the result of an inflammation of the pancreas, which causes typical symptoms, such as severe constant abdominal pain, sometimes with back pain. The pain is ...more symptoms »
The goal of treatment of acute pancreatitis is to control symptoms, such as abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting, and minimize the secretion of digestive enzymes to allow the pancreas to heal. Treatment also aims to prevent the development of serious complications, such as chronic pancreatitis, malabsorption, and malnutrition, kidney failure, ...more treatments »
A diagnosis of acute pancreatitis may be delayed or missed because some symptoms, such as abdominal pain, weight loss, nausea, and diarrhea can attributed to many other conditions as such as gastroenteritis, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, or peptic ulcer. It is important to seek prompt medical care if you experience any ...more misdiagnosis »
See full list of 13 symptoms of Acute Pancreatitis
See full list of 6 treatments for Acute Pancreatitis
Home medical testing related to Acute Pancreatitis:
Read more about Deaths and Acute Pancreatitis.
Test for Acute Pancreatitis in your own home
Click for TestsSee full list of 12 diagnostic tests for Acute Pancreatitis
Review possible medical complications related to Acute Pancreatitis:
See full list of 79 causes of Acute Pancreatitis
More information about causes of Acute Pancreatitis:
Research the causes of these diseases that are similar to, or related to, Acute Pancreatitis:
Commonly undiagnosed diseases in related medical categories:
Diabetes diagnosis and misdiagnosis (In-Depth Report): Detailed report on diabetes misdiagnoses, rare curable types, and less common diagnostic issues....read full report »
Read more about Misdiagnosis and Acute Pancreatitis
Metabolic syndrome often undiagnosed: Metabolic syndrome, also known as Syndrome X, is an often overlooked medical condition that causes a cluster of chronic symptoms. There are often four symptoms and conditions...read more »
Heart attacks can be undiagnosed: Although the most severe symptoms of heart attack are hard to miss, there are varying degrees of severity. It is altogether too common for people to die from undiagnosed heart attack, or from...read more »
Heart attacks can be overdiagnosed: Although many people die from heart attacks, there are also many cases where people fear that they have a heart attack, but actually...read more »
Cluster of diseases with difficult diagnosis issues: There is a well-known list of medical conditions that are all somewhat difficult to diagnose, and all can present in a variety of different severities. Diseases in...read more »
Chronic digestive conditions often misdiagnosed: When diagnosing chronic symptoms of the digestive tract, there are a variety of conditions that may be...read more »
Intestinal bacteria disorder may be hidden cause: One of the lesser known causes of diarrhea is an imbalance of bacterial in the gut, sometimes called intestinal imbalance. The digestive system...read more »
Antibiotics often causes diarrhea: The use of antibiotics are very likely to cause some level of diarrhea in patients. The reason is that antibiotics kill off not only "bad" bacteria, but can also kill the ...read more »
Food poisoning may actually be an infectious disease: Many people who come down with "stomach symptoms" like diarrhea assume that it's "something I ate" (i.e. food poisoning). In fact, it's more...read more »
Mesenteric adenitis misdiagnosed as appendicitis in children: Because appendicitis is one of the more feared conditions for a child with abdominal pain, it can be over-diagnosed (it can, of course,...read more »
Poorly healing leg rashes a classic sign of chronic disease: Recurring leg rashes, or poorly healing leg rashes, are a classic sign of undiagnosed diabetes, particularly of Type 2 diabetes, but also Type 1 diabetes. They can...read more »
Leg cramps at night a classic sign: The symptom of having leg muscle cramps, particularly at night, is a classic sign of undiagnosed diabetes. However, there are also various other causes. See ...read more »
Celiac disease often fails to be diagnosed cause of chronic digestive symptoms: One of the most common chronic digestive conditions is celiac disease, a...read more »
Obesity-related conditions undiagnosed in children: A variety of conditions are associated with obesity (see obesity), but these tend to be undiagnosed more often in child patients than...read more »
Vitamin B12 deficiency under-diagnosed: The condition of Vitamin B12 deficiency is a possible misdiagnosis of various conditions, such as multiple...read more »
Chronic digestive diseases hard to diagnose: There is an inherent difficulty in diagnosing the various types of chronic digestive diseases. Some of...read more »
Read more about Misdiagnosis and Acute Pancreatitis
Research related physicians and medical specialists:
Other doctor, physician and specialist research services:
Research quality ratings and patient safety measures for medical facilities in specialties related to Acute Pancreatitis:
Hospital & Clinic quality ratings »
Choosing the Best Hospital: More general information, not necessarily in relation to Acute Pancreatitis, on hospital performance and surgical care quality:
Rare types of diseases and disorders in related medical categories:
Medical research articles related to Acute Pancreatitis include:
Click here to find more evidence-based articles on the TRIP Database
More Acute Pancreatitis animations & videos
Visit our research pages for current research about Acute Pancreatitis treatments.
Related forums and medical stories:
Read about other experiences, ask a question about Acute Pancreatitis, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:
Tools & Services:
Medical Articles:
Search Specialists by State and City
By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use. Information provided on this site is for informational purposes only; it is not intended as a substitute for advice from your own medical team. The information on this site is not to be used for diagnosing or treating any health concerns you may have - please contact your physician or health care professional for all your medical needs. Please see our Terms of Use.
Copyright © 2011 Health Grades Inc. All rights reserved. Last Update: 1 February, 2012 (2:33)
