Acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis -Active inflammation and injury leading to severe abdominal pain and nausea , vomiting , inappropriate release of pancreatic juice or a systemic inflammatory response syndrome with fever , low BP and in some cases failure of one or more organs.

Chronic pancreatitis -Permanent damage to the pancreas from long term or recurrent inflammation ( fibrosis , cyst formation and stricturing of the pancreatic duct ) Presentation can be with chronic or episodic abdominal pain , nausea and eventual pancreatic failure -unable to produce and release digestive enzymes and hormones ( chronic diarrhoea , poor absorption of food & nutrients and diabetes )

Acute pancreatitis ( AP ) -one of the leading reason for hospital admission due to gastro-intestinal causes

Associated with significant morbidity and mortality

Burden of pancreatitis is increasing

Incidence

acute pancreatitis ranges from 13-45 / 100,000 population

chronic pancreatitis 5 - 12 / 100,000 population

peak incidence ( acute pancreatitis ) 5th and 6th decades

incidence appears to be rising in the UK

In about 25 % of cases when AP is associated with complications as respiratory or kidney failure , abdominal fluid collection - critical care and prolonged hospital support is often required and mortality...