Acute pancreatitis
Acute pancreatitis is treated in hospital, where you'll be closely monitored for signs of serious problems and given supportive treatment, such as fluids and oxygen.
Many people are well enough to leave hospital after 5-10 days.
In severe cases, complications can develop that require specific additional treatment and you'll need to be admitted to a high dependency unit or intensive care unit (ICU) . In these cases, recoverymay take much longer, and the condition can be fatal.
Read about the potential complications of acute pancreatitis for more informationon severe cases.
Your body can become dehydrated during an episode of acute pancreatitis, so fluids are provided through a tube connected to one of your veins (this is known as intravenous, or IV, fluid).
In severe cases of acute pancreatitis, IV fluids can help to prevent a serious problem called hypovolemic shock, which occurs when a drop in your fluid levels lowers the amount of blood in your body.
Although the diet of many people with mild acute pancreatitis isn't restricted, somepeople are advised not toeat. This is because trying to digest solid food could place too much strain on your pancreas.
Depending on the severity of the condition, you may not be able to eat solid foodsfor a few days or longer.
If youneed to avoid solid food, a feeding tube may beused to provide your body with nutrients. This is known as enteral feeding andoften involves usinga tube inserted into your stomach through your nose (nasogastric tube).
To ensure your vital organs have enough oxygen, it will usually be supplied through tubes into your nose. The tubes can be removed after a few days, once your condition is improving.
In severe cases, ventilation equipment may also be used to assist with your breathing.
Acute pancreatitis often causes severe abdominal (tummy) pain, so strong painkilling medication will probably be required, such as morphine.
Some of the painkillers used can make you feel very drowsy. If you're visiting someone who is in hospital with acute pancreatitis, don't be alarmed or concerned if they appear drowsy or unresponsive.
Oncethe condition is under control, the underlying cause may need to be treated. Treatments for the most common causes of acute pancreatitis gallstones and alcohol consumption are outlined below.
If a gallstone is responsible for the pancreatitis,you may needa procedure calledendoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP),or your gallbladder may need to be removed.
Gallbladder removal surgery may be done while you're in hospital, or itmay be planned for several weeks' time. Having your gallbladder removed should have no significant effect on your health, other than making it more difficult to digest certain foods, such as fatty or spicy foods.
An ERCP procedure is an alternative treatment for gallstones. It involves using a narrow, flexible tube known as an endoscope , which has a camera on one end.
X-rays guide the endoscope into your digestive system, andsurgical instrumentsare passeddown the endoscopeto removethe gallstones.
After recovering from acute pancreatitis, alcohol should be completely avoidedif this was the cause of the condition. If you find this difficult, you'll probably need additional treatment.
Treatment options for alcohol dependence include:
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Acute pancreatitis is a serious condition where the pancreas becomes inflamed over a short period of time. Acute pancreatitis is a condition which occurs when the pancreas gland becomes inflamed.
<p>The main symptom of acute pancreatitis is a severe, dull pain around the top of your stomach that develops suddenly.</p><p><strong>Pain is the main symptom which begins in the stomak and spreads like a band across the abdomen, sometimes extending to the shoulder. This type of pain may begin after consuming a particularly large meal, heavy in fats, or 6-12 hours after consuming alcohol. Other symptoms which may accompany the disease are nausea or vomiting, icterus (jaundice, a yellow coloration of the eyeball, or in more severe cases, of the skin), perspiration and stomach bloating. If you are experiencing the above, you must go to a hospital immediately.</strong></p>
<p>Most cases of acute pancreatitis are closely linked to gallstones and alcohol consumption, although the exact cause is not always clear.</p><p><strong>Acute pancreatitis is mainly caused by the following:</strong></p><p><strong>1. The presence of gallbladder stones</strong></p><p><strong>2. Alcohol consumption </strong></p><p><strong>In many cases, the exact causes are unknown. </strong></p><p><strong>Other factors that may cause the condition include:</strong></p><p><strong>1. A fat-processing metabolism disorder caused by a hyper-caloric diet</strong></p><p><strong>2. Interventions in the biliary tree</strong></p><p><strong>3. The usage of certain medication, or chemotherapy</strong></p><p><strong>4. Certain viruses may trigger the condition</strong></p><p><strong>5. It can occur simultaneously, concurrently with other diseases.</strong></p><p> </p>
<p>Due to the risk of serious complications, most cases of acute pancreatitis are diagnosed in hospital.</p><p><strong>Pancreatitis is a condition which is treated in hospital conditions. During a medical examination the patient appears severely ill, exhibiting a tense, taut, hardened abdomen. To diagnose pancreatitis, the following blood tests are performed:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Amylase test</strong></p><p><strong>2. Lipase test</strong></p><p><strong>Other examinations include:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Abdominal CT Scan </strong></p><p><strong>2. MRI</strong></p><p><strong>3. ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography)</strong><strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> is a </span>procedure<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> that enables your physician to examine the pancreatic and bile ducts. A bendable, lighted tube (endoscope) about the thickness of your index finger is placed through your mouth and into your stomach and first part of the small intestine (duodenum).</span></strong></p><p> </p>
<p>There's no specific treatment for acute pancreatitis, but for most people the condition gets better on its own within a week.</p><p><strong>Acute pancreatitis is treated under hospital conditions. The patient usually remains hospitalized for 10 to 12 days, under a strict regimen in the intensive care unit, which involves:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Intravenous fluid</strong></p><p><strong>2. Parenteral nutrition (venous), and at times a probe may be inserted through the nose into the duodenum (intestine), from which food may be introduced</strong></p><p><strong>3. Oxygen</strong></p><p><strong>4. Depending on the specific case, antibiotics or sedatives (morphine) may be needed</strong></p><p><strong>When the pancreatitis is caused by gallbladder stones, the stones are surgically removed, or removed via lithotripsy or contact dissolution therapy. If the condition has been caused by alcohol consumption, the patient must take care to abstain from alcohol completely following their recovery. </strong></p>
<p>Although most people with acute pancreatitis recover without experiencing further problems, severe cases can have serious complication</p><p><strong>Some of the complications that may occur following acute pancreatitis are:</strong></p><p><strong>1. Pseudocysts, which are small blisters filled with fluid formed on the surface of the pancreas. When they burst they cause abdominal pain. </strong></p><p><strong>2. Pancreatic necrosis, which constitutes a very severe complication. This phenomenon poses great mortality risks.</strong></p><p><strong>3. Systemic inflamation, involving a very high fever (39 degrees Celcius), an increased heart rate, tachycardia, difficulty breathing and mental confusion, all of which aggravate the condition of the patient</strong></p><p> </p>
<p>As acute pancreatitis is often caused by gallstones or excessive alcohol consumption, a healthy lifestyle can reduce your chances of developing the condition.</p><p><strong>A healthy lifestyle is recommended, which includes lowering the caloric intake and eliminating animal fats from your diet, especially for ages 50 and above. Other prevention methods include removal of gallbladder stones if present, and eliminating the consumption of alcohol as two of the main causes of this condition. </strong></p><p> </p>