Acute pancreatitis – the cause of the, symptoms, diagnostics – Prevention and treatment of acute pancreatitis

Acute Pancreatitis

What is acute pancreatitis?

Pancreas – long, flat, pear-shaped organ, located on the bottom of the stomach. This gland produces digestive enzymes and hormones, including insulin. Acute pancreatitis – Pancreatic inflammation, which occurs suddenly and passes with proper treatment.

Acute pancreatitis – the cause of the

Pancreatitis occurs, when digestive enzymes are active directly in the pancreas, and not in the small intestine. Acute pancreatitis has many causes. In some cases, the cause of the disease may not be known.

Known causes of acute pancreatitis include:

• Blockage of the pancreatic duct for the following reasons:
  • Gallstones;
  • Cancer;
  • Duodenal ulcer, the initial part of the small intestine, in the area which is the pancreas;
• Alcohol consumption;
• Surgery or injury of pancreas;
• Taking certain medications, eg, for treating cancer;
• Išemiâ – insufficient blood supply to the pancreas;
• Complications after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.

Risk factors for acute pancreatitis

Factors, that may increase the risk of acute pancreatitis includes:

• Alcohol abuse;
• Family history of pancreatitis;
• Previous episodes of acute pancreatitis;
• Congenital diseases, such as the separation of the pancreas;
• HIV and other viral infections, such as mumps or hepatitis B;
• Bacterial and parasitic infections;
• Hypertriglyceridemia – increased level of triglycerides in the blood;
• Taking certain medications, eg, for the treatment of high blood pressure;
• Pancreatic cancer;
• Hyperlipidemia – elevated blood fat;
• Hypercalcemia – elevated blood calcium levels;
• Mukovystsydoz;
• The sting of a scorpion;
• Exposure to certain toxins.

Acute pancreatitis – symptoms

Symptoms of acute pancreatitis can occur once or several times. The re-emergence of symptoms is known as an attack.

In acute pancreatitis can be observed:

• Severe pain in the center of the upper abdomen, that:
  • Sometimes it spreads into the upper back;
  • Often compounded after eating, walks, or when in supine position;
• Nausea and vomiting;
• Slight fever;
• Jaundice – yellowing of the skin and eyes;
• Rarely, shock, medical emergency – state, in which organs and tissues are not getting enough blood or nutrients.

If untreated, acute pancreatitis can progress to chronic pancreatitis, serious illness, in which the pancreas becomes irreversibly damaged.

Diagnosis of acute pancreatitis

The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history, and perform a physical examination. The doctor will ask about, how much alcohol you consume, and what medicines you take. Diagnosis can be made on the presence of symptoms and blood tests.

Other tests may include:

• Blood tests, to seek improvement of digestive enzymes amylase and lipase;
• Urine.

Medical imaging tests may be used to assess the state of the pancreas and surrounding structures. To take pictures used:

• Abdominal ultrasound;
• CT of the abdomen;
• Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography;
• Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERKhPG).

Acute pancreatitis – treatment

Treatment for acute pancreatitis depends on the severity of the attack and its causes. For Example, If the cause of an attack of pancreatitis is a cure, Doctor can replace it with another medicine or to adjust the dose received.

In most cases, acute pancreatitis is not serious and can be cured successfully. Treatment of acute pancreatitis includes:

Hospitalization for acute pancreatitis

Usually, Treatment of acute pancreatitis require hospitalization. Fluid and nutrients can be administered intravenously, the period of recovery of the pancreas. At this time, you can not have your own food or drink liquids.

If you have a severe attack of acute pancreatitis, you may need nasogastric tube feeding – long, a thin tube, which is inserted through the nose into the stomach.

Also, your doctor may start treatment disorders, bring on an attack of acute pancreatitis.

Treatment of acute pancreatitis drugs

Your doctor may recommend taking:

• Antibiotics – to treat infection;
• Analgesics;
• Protease inhibitors, to reduce the effects of the negative impact of digestive enzymes;
• Insulin – to help regulate blood glucose.

Surgery for acute pancreatitis – Surgical treatment of acute pancreatitis

Most often acute pancreatitis requires surgery. Surgery may be needed, when other methods of treatment of acute pancreatitis have been unsuccessful. Surgery can also be used for the treatment of major diseases, causing acute pancreatitis.

Surgical procedures include:

• Necrosectomy – removal of dying or already dead (necrotic) pancreatic tissue. In the presence of pancreatic infection can lead to serious health consequences. Necrosectomy can also be carried out using endoscopy.
• Drainage via a percutaneous catheter – one or more narrow tubes are inserted into the peritoneal cavity to drain accumulated liquid from the pancreas.
• ERKhPG – to remove stones in the gallbladder or bile ducts open blocked;
• Cholecystectomy – to completely remove the gallbladder.

Prevention of acute pancreatitis

To reduce your chances of getting acute pancreatitis, follow these steps::

• Limit your alcohol intake – no more 80 g of alcohol per day for men and 40 grams per day for women;
• If you have hyperlipidemia, you need to limit your intake of fat and follow the treatment plan, developed by a physician, to reduce the level of lipids;
• Increase the amount of vegetables in the diet;
• Increase the level of physical activity, to lose weight. Highlight 30 minutes a day for physical exercise;
• Check, you vaccinated. It should be vaccinated against mumps, Rubella, hepatitis B and varicella.