Acute pancreatitis

Abstract

Acute pancreatitis presents with severe abdominal pain and systemic inflammation. Raised amylase is still the cornerstone of diagnosis along with CT scanning where diagnosis is uncertain. Causes include gallstones, alcohol abuse, and hypertriglyceridaemia. Therapy centres on supportive therapy and managing systemic inflammatory response/organ failure. Scoring systems are described which help predict severity of the attack, as well as nutritional support and treatment of complications (necrosis, pseudocyst).