Introduction

What is acute pancreatitis? Inflammation of the pancreas. This leads to a severe central abdominal pain that can move to the left upper abdomen or through to the back. The diagnosis is confirmed on blood tests and imaging studies

What is the pancreas? It is an organ of digestion that sits behind the stomach within the upper, posterior part of the abdomen, and produces hormones that control the blood sugar levels and which help to digest food

What are the types of pancreatitis?

- Mild: pain, without any involvement of other organs and no complications in the area of the pancreas or in the rest of the body

- Moderate: organ dysfunction that improves within 48 hours, or the development of complications in the area of the pancreas and/or in the rest of the body, without any organ dysfunction that lasts longer than 48 hours

- Severe: organ failure that lasts for more than 48 hours (usually respiratory, circulatory and/or kidney failure)

Risk factors:

- Alcohol intake

- Gallstones

- Smoking

- High levels of triglyceride (a type of fat) - After an ERCP (procedure to diagnose and/or treat gallstones)

- Genetic risks

- Drug induced

- Autoimmune-induced

- Blunt trauma-related

- Obstruction to the bile duct system

- High levels of calcium

- Certain infections and toxins

- Anatomic and blood supply problems of the pancreas

- Idiopathic (no identified cause)

Of all the identifiable risk factors, alcohol intake and gallstones are the most common, accounting for most cases of acute pancreatitis

What are the symptoms of pancreatitis?

Pain is the most common and significant of all the symptoms and is fairly severe and unrelenting. It is often in the upper, central abdomen but can move to the left side or through to the back. The pain can go on for hours or days, and is sometimes made better by sitting up and leaning forward.

Patients also have nausea and vomiting, and if there are other organs involved, there could be symptoms related to those organs: breathing difficulties when the lungs are involved, dizziness, weakness and confusion from low blood pressure and a drop in urine output from kidney failure

If the disease has progressed for a week or more, infection may set in and cause increased temperature, pain and swellings in the abdomen and mid-to-lateral regions of the back where infected materials are collecting

Because of the high risk of serious complications from acute pancreatitis, anyone with these symptoms should not delay in seeing their doctor