How to Diagnose Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas in which the gland tries to digest itself with its own enzymes. It has an acute and chronic form which may result in the loss of the gland. The inflammation from pancreatitis can easily spread through the retroperitoneal space because the pancreas does not have a capsule. More severe forms of this disease include edematous and necrotizing pancreatitis. Here's how to diagnose pancreatitis.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Observe the most common symptom of acute pancreatitis as pain in the epigastric region or right upper quadrant that radiates to the back. The patient also may experience nausea and vomiting.
2. Take the patient's history and inquire about episodes of alcohol binges and biliary colic. Check for recent invasive procedures, especially endoscopy of the pancreas and a family history of elevated triglyceride levels.
3. Conduct a physical exam. Common findings of pancreatitis include rapid breathing and heart rate, fever, mild jaundice and hypotension. The abdomen may be tender and distended with bowel noises diminished or absent.
4. Perform routine laboratory tests. A white blood cell count greater than 12,000 and an increase in the number of segmented polymorphs is typical of pancreatitis. The blood glucose may be elevated because of injury to B cells in the pancreas.
5. Run Computed Tomography (CT) as the best imaging technique for diagnosing pancreatitis. The CT may show an enlargement of the pancreas, a hazy appearance indicating gland abnormality and one or more isolated areas of inflammation.