Acute Pancreatitis: Symptoms, Causes, And Treatment

Acute pancreatitis can be treated and relieved in most cases. However, when complications occur or the condition is very severe, the situation becomes much more dangerous and can even lead to death.

Acute pancreatitis is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas. The usual thing is that, after this episode, the function of the gland is completely restored. These types of episodes occur more frequently among people between 50 and 70 years old.

Anyone in good health can experience an episode of acute pancreatitis. However, the most common is that this takes place in those who have a health condition that predisposes them to suffer from this disease. Mainly, the most common risk factor is gallbladder stones, according to medical sources.

One of the factors that can cause acute pancreatitis is the excessive consumption of alcohol in a very regular way. However, it is proven that poor nutritional habits also affect the appearance of this disease.

What is acute pancreatitis?

Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas . It is a gland that is located in the upper part of the abdomen, behind the stomach. It produces enzymes, which contribute to the digestive process, and hormones, which help regulate the processing of sugar or glucose.

There are two types of pancreatitis :

• Acute: is one that occurs suddenly and lasts only for a few days.
• Chronic : it is the one that remains active for more than six months.

Acute pancreatitis can be severe, moderate, or mild, depending on the effect it has on the body’s functions and the associated complications. Generally speaking, when pancreatitis is mild or moderate, it is usually not fatal. However, if it is severe, the risk of death is high.

Causes

As the scientific literature indicates, the main causes of acute pancreatitis are the following:

• Calculations b i Liares : correspond approximately to 40% of cases. Although the complete mechanism is not clear, it is assumed that the stones obstruct the pancreatic duct causing the activation of the enzymatic process within the pancreas. This leads to the destruction of organ tissue.

• Alcohol consumption : corresponds to about 30% of cases. The systematic consumption of alcohol, even if the intake is moderate, leads to chronic pancreatitis after a few years. It does not occur in all drinkers, but other factors have to concur for it to be unleashed.
• Other factors: A genetic mutation in the cationic trypsinogen gene that causes acute pancreatitis was detected in 80% of carriers. It is also a complication that appears in 5-10% of the cases of those who undergo endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).

Symptoms of acute pancreatitis

The typical symptom of acute pancreatitis is pain in the abdomen . It is present in more than 95% of the cases. It has an intensity that ranges from moderate to severe and is experienced as a dagger that goes through the back. You only notice some relief with the stillness. This pain comes on suddenly, at a specific time.

Nausea and vomiting also appear in 80 to 90% of those who have an episode of this nature. At first they are alimentary and then they become bilious or watery. Abdominal bloating and low-grade fever are also common.

In some cases, other symptoms appear, including respiratory or kidney failure, heart failure, low blood pressure, and mental disturbances. In the case of mild pancreatitis, the pain is much more moderate and the other symptoms may go unnoticed.

Treatment

Typically, these types of episodes are treated in a hospital manner. First, fasting is established for one or two days. When the inflammation subsides, a liquid diet is started and then a soft diet. Pain medications and fluids are also given intravenously to prevent dehydration.

After initial management, a specific treatment should be started, according to the causes  that have caused the pancreatitis. This may include procedures to unblock the bile ducts, gallbladder surgery, pancreas surgery, or treatment for alcoholism.

It is advisable that the affected person, after overcoming the episode, eat a diet low in fat and with abundant fluid intake. Likewise, it is appropriate to stop drinking alcohol and avoid tobacco use.

The prognosis depends on the severity of the episode. It is less encouraging if the affected person is over 60 years old, has other health problems, is obese, has symptoms of hypovolemia, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), pleural effusion, or shows changes in mental status.