Pancreatitis
Inflammation of the pancreas causing severe abdominal pain.
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Common causes include gallstones and alcohol consumption, and symptoms often include upper abdominal pain that may radiate to the back.[1][2] Inflammation of the pancreas, which is situated in the upper abdomen, is referred to as pancreatitis.[1][3] Pancreatitis can manifest as either an acute condition that begins abruptly or a chronic one that develops gradually.[1][3]
Key facts and history
During 2015, the worldwide count of pancreatitis cases was approximately 8.9 million, with 132,700 fatalities attributed to the condition.[4] Within the United States, the annual incidence of acute pancreatitis is roughly 30 cases per 100,000 individuals, while chronic pancreatitis has a prevalence of about 50 per 100,000 people.[4] Obstruction of the common bile duct by gallstones and substantial alcohol consumption are the primary triggers for acute pancreatitis.[2] Prolonged, heavy alcohol intake over many years is the predominant cause of chronic pancreatitis.[2]
The likelihood of developing both acute and chronic pancreatitis is elevated by smoking.[2] Management of acute pancreatitis involves administering fluids intravenously, providing analgesics, and, in certain situations, using antibiotics.[5] For individuals with chronic pancreatitis, sustained modifications to their diet and supplementation with pancreatic enzymes might be necessary.[5] The death rate for severe acute pancreatitis ranges from 2% to 9%, and this figure is elevated when pancreatic necrosis is present.[6]
What the research sources say
The E Medicine Health account states that pancreatitis leads to characteristic symptoms including abdominal pain that may radiate to the back, nausea, and vomiting.[1] If pancreatitis progresses, it can lead to complications such as diabetes, cancer of the pancreas, malnutrition, infection, or pseudocysts.[1] The Radiopaedia.org mnemonic "GET SMASHED" lists causes including gallstones, ethanol, trauma, steroids, mumps, autoimmune disease, scorpion stings, hyperlipidemia, ERCP, and drugs.[7] The E Medicine Health source notes that acute pancreatitis can be treated and cured if no complications occur, but damage from chronic pancreatitis is usually permanent.[1]
The same source reports that treatment typically includes fasting and intravenous fluid, and may involve discontinuing alcohol use or surgical treatment for gallstones.[1]
References
- "Symptoms and Signs of Acute and Chronic Pancreatitis Differences", E Medicine Health. facts only, no text reused. emedicinehealth.com
- Wikipedia, "Pancreatitis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Pancreatitis", The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, August 16, 2012; "Pancreatitis", The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, August 16, 2012; "Pancreatitis", The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, August 16, 2012; "Pancreatitis", The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, August 16, 2012; "Pancreatitis", The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, August 16, 2012; "Acute pancreatitis", Lancet, en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Pancreatitis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Pancreatitis", The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, August 16, 2012; "Pancreatitis", The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, August 16, 2012; "Pancreatitis", The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, August 16, 2012; "Pancreatitis", The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, August 16, 2012; "Pancreatitis", The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, August 16, 2012; "Pancreatitis", The National I en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Pancreatitis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015", Lancet, October 2016, p; "Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015", Lancet, October 2; ((GBD 2013 Mortality Causes of Death Collaborators)), "Global, regional, and national age-sex specifi en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Pancreatitis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Pancreatitis", The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, August 16, 2012; "Pancreatitis", The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, August 16, 2012; "American College of Gastroenterology Guidelines: Management of Acute Pancreatitis", The American Journal of Gastroenterology, March 2024, p. 419–437; "Pancreatitis", The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, August 16, 2012; "Pancreatitis", The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Pancreatitis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Diagnosis and management of acute pancreatitis", American Family Physician, July 2000, p. 164–174 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Causes of pancreatitis (mnemonic)", Radiopaedia.org. facts only, no text reused. radiopaedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Pancreatitis (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Inflammatory diseases of the digestive system
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Pancreatitis (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the , each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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