Patient education: Acute pancreatitis (The Basics)

What is pancreatitis? — Pancreatitis is a condition that can cause severe belly pain.

The pancreas is an organ that makes hormones and juices that help break down food (figure 1). Pancreatitis is the term for when this organ gets irritated or swollen. "Acute" pancreatitis is when there is a sudden episode of pain.

Most people heal from pancreatitis without any long-lasting effects. But a few people get very sick. "Chronic" pancreatitis is when the pancreas gets damaged by irritation over time.

What causes acute pancreatitis? — There are many causes of pancreatitis. But most cases are caused by gallstones or alcohol abuse:

●Gallstones – Gallstones are hard lumps that form inside an organ called the gallbladder. Both the pancreas and the gallbladder drain into a single tube. If that tube gets clogged by a gallstone, neither of the organs can drain. When that happens, the fluids from both organs get backed up. That can cause pain.

●Alcohol abuse – People who drink too much alcohol for too long sometimes get alcohol-related pancreatitis. People with this form of pancreatitis usually start to feel pain 1 to 3 days after drinking a lot of alcohol or after they suddenly stop drinking. They usually also have nausea and vomiting.

What are the symptoms of acute pancreatitis? — The main symptom is pain in the upper belly that starts quickly. In about half of people, the pain spreads to the back. Some people have more pain after a meal. Pain might be slightly reduced by sitting up or bending forward. The pain might come with nausea or vomiting.

Is there a test for acute pancreatitis? — There are a few blood tests that can help your doctor or nurse figure out if you have pancreatitis. Your doctor might also order a special kind of X-ray called a "CT scan" of your belly. This is to check if your belly pain is due to pancreatitis or another condition.

How is acute pancreatitis treated? — Acute pancreatitis is usually treated in the hospital. There, your doctor or nurse can give you fluids and pain medicines to help you feel better. If you cannot eat, they can give you food through a tube.

Some people with pancreatitis get an infection, which can be treated with antibiotics. Pancreatitis can also lead to other problems, such as fluid buildup around the pancreas or organ failure. Fluid buildup around pancreas often goes away on its own, but sometimes needs to be drained or treated with surgery. Organ failure is usually handled by a team of doctors in the intensive care unit, or "ICU."

Another important part of treatment is to get rid of the cause of the pancreatitis. If your pancreatitis is caused by gallstones, your doctor might need to treat them, too. People with pancreatitis from alcohol use must learn to stop drinking alcohol to keep from getting pancreatitis again.

More on this topic

Patient education: Gallstones (The Basics)
Patient education: Gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy) (The Basics)

Patient education: Acute pancreatitis (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Chronic pancreatitis (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) (Beyond the Basics)