How to treat acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, which is an organ located in the left upper corner of the abdomen. This organ is important for digestion of food and secretion of insulin in the body. Sometimes it can get inflamed and or infected. This is called pancreatitis. Acute pancreatitis can be divided into two broad categories: edematous or mild acute pancreatitis and necrotizing or severe acute pancreatitis. Read on to learn more about how to treat acute pancreatitis.

Instructions

1. Understand the treatment of acute pancreatitis is aimed at correcting any underlying predisposing factors that may cause this condition and at the pancreatic inflammation itself. The most important factors that may cause acute pancreatitis include gall bladder stones, alcohol abuse, high serum triglyceride concentrations, high serum calcium levels and drugs.

2. In severe pancreatitis, intensive care unit monitoring and support of pulmonary, renal, circulatory and hepatobiliary function may minimize systemic sequelae.

3. The occurrence of pancreatic infection is a leading cause of death in acute necrotizing pancreatitis. Three approaches have been taken to decrease bacterial infections in acute necrotizing pancreatitis: feeding to avoid central line related infections, maintain gut barrier integrity and decrease bacterial translocations; selective decontamination of the gut with non-absorbent antibiotics; and prophylactic systemic antibiotics. Of these, prophylactic systemic antibiotics and nutrition are very much recommended.

4. Keep in mind that surgical debridement should be done in extreme cases to remove the dead pancreatic tissue itself. This should be reserved for very critical patients especially in those where bacterial infection has occurred and who do not improve with antibiotics.

5. In patients with pancreatitis due to gall bladder stones, early endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, which is a special endoscope that is passed all the way in to the pancreatic duct going through mouth and stomach, and sphincterotomy (giving a nick in the opening of the pancreatic duct that opens in to the intestine) may prove beneficial. This is done to remove the stones that are blocking the pancreatic duct and the bile duct. Cholecystectomy should be performed prior to the discharge to avoid future attacks.