Acute pancreatitis

Causes of acute pancreatitis

Most cases of acute pancreatitis are closely linked to gallstones or to alcohol consumption, although t he exact cause isn't always clear.

Gallstones

Gallstones are hard pieces of stone-like material that form in your gallbladder. They can trigger acute pancreatitis if they move out of the gallbladder and block the opening of the pancreas.

The blockage can disrupt some of the enzymes (chemicals) produced by the pancreas. These enzymes are normally used to help digest food in your intestines, but theycanstart to digest the pancreas instead ifthe opening isblocked.

However, not everyone with gallstones will develop acute pancreatitis. Most gallstones don't cause any problems.

Alcohol consumption

It's not fully understood how alcohol causes the pancreas to become inflamed. One theory is that it interferes with the normal workings of the pancreas, causing the enzymes to start digesting it.

Whatever the cause, there is a clear link between alcohol use and acute pancreatitis. A very large study found that people who regularly drank more than 35 units of alcohol a week were four times more likely to develop acute pancreatitis than people who never drank alcohol (35 units is the equivalentof drinking around 16 cans of strong lager or four bottles of wine a week).

Binge drinking ,which is drinking a lot of alcohol in a short period of time, is also thought to increase your risk of developing acute pancreatitis.

Other causes

Less common causes of acute pancreatitis include:

accidental damage or injury to the pancreas for example, duringa procedureto remove gallstones or examine the pancreas
certain types of medication,such as some antibiotics or chemotherapy medication acute pancreatitis can bean unexpected side effect of these in a small number of people
a viral infection such as mumps or measles
a complication of cystic fibrosis
certain rare conditions including hyperparathyroidism , Reye's syndrome and Kawasaki disease

Severe pancreatitis

Little is known about why some people develop severe acute pancreatitis. Factors thought to increase your risk include:

being 70 years of age or over
being obese (a person is considered obese if they have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above)
having two or more alcoholic drinks a day
smoking

Researchers have also discovered that people with a specific genetic mutation, known as the MCP-1 mutation, are eight times more likely to develop severe acute pancreatitis than the general population. A genetic mutation is where the instructions (DNA) found in all living cells become scrambled, resulting in a genetic disorder or a change in characteristics.

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 28 Nov 2016

Articles for acute pancreatitis

Introduction

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.

Symptoms of acute pancreatitis

The main symptom of acute pancreatitis is a severe, dull pain around the top of your stomach that develops suddenly.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.

Causes of acute pancreatitis

Most cases of acute pancreatitis are closely linked to gallstones and alcohol consumption, although the exact cause is not always clear.Acute pancreatitis is mainly caused by the following:1. The presence of gallbladder stones2. Alcohol consumption In many cases, the exact causes are unknown. Other factors that may cause the condition include:1. A fat-processing metabolism disorder caused by a hyper-caloric diet2. Interventions in the biliary tree3. The usage of certain medication, or chemotherapy4. Certain viruses may trigger the condition5. It can occur simultaneously, concurrently with other diseases.

Diagnosing acute pancreatitis

Due to the risk of serious complications, most cases of acute pancreatitis are diagnosed in hospital.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:1. Amylase test2. Lipase testOther examinations include:1. Abdominal CT Scan 2. MRI3. ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) is a procedure 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).

Treating acute pancreatitis

There's no specific treatment for acute pancreatitis, but for most people the condition gets better on its own within a week.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:1. Intravenous fluid2. Parenteral nutrition (venous), and at times a probe may be inserted through the nose into the duodenum (intestine), from which food may be introduced3. Oxygen4. Depending on the specific case, antibiotics or sedatives (morphine) may be neededWhen 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.

Complications of acute pancreatitis

Although most people with acute pancreatitis recover without experiencing further problems, severe cases can have serious complicationSome of the complications that may occur following acute pancreatitis are:1. Pseudocysts, which are small blisters filled with fluid formed on the surface of the pancreas. When they burst they cause abdominal pain. 2. Pancreatic necrosis, which constitutes a very severe complication. This phenomenon poses great mortality risks.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

Preventing acute pancreatitis

As acute pancreatitis is often caused by gallstones or excessive alcohol consumption, a healthy lifestyle can reduce your chances of developing the condition.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.

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