Pancreatitis

Author: Oliver Daly / Editor: Janet Skinner / Reviewer: Jennifer Lockwood, Mehdi Teeli, Jia Luen Goh / Codes: A3 / Published: 18/10/2021 / Reviewed: 13/02/2025

This module provides information on Pancreatitis, including the diagnosis, basic science, assessment and management.

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Elicit the features on history and examination that suggest a diagnosis of pancreatitis in a patient with abdominal pain
• Describe the aetiology and pathophysiology of pancreatitis
• Perform a risk assessment in a patient presenting with suspected pancreatitis
• Order and interpret appropriate laboratory tests and imaging in patients with suspected pancreatitis
• Institute appropriate initial management and describe the ongoing care of a patient with pancreatitis

References

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2. Corfield AP, Cooper MJ, Williamson RC. Acute pancreatitis: a lethal disease of increasing incidence. Gut 1985;26:7249.
3. UK Working Party on Acute Pancreatitis. UK guidelines for the management of acute pancreatitis, Gut 2005;54:1-9.
4. Goodchild G, Chouhan M, Johnson GJ. Practical guide to the management of acute pancreatitis. Frontline Gastroenterology. 2019;10:292-299.
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8. Goodchild G, Chouhan M, Johnson GJ. Practical guide to the management of acute pancreatitis. Frontline Gastroenterol. 2019 Jul;10(3):292-299.
9. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Pancreatitis -NICE guideline [NG104]. Published: 05 September 2018. Last updated: 16 December 2020.
10. Toouli J, Brook-Smith M, Bassi C, et al., Guidelines for the management of acute pancreatitis. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2002;(Suppl 17):S1539.
11. Jalal M, Campbell JA, Hopper AD. Practical guide to the management of chronic pancreatitis. Frontline Gastroenterology 2019;10:253-260.
12. Rompianesi G, Hann A, Komolafe O, et al., Serum amylase and lipase and urinary trypsinogen and amylase for diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017 Apr 21;4(4):CD012010.
13. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Pancreatitis – acute. NICE CKS, Last revised in May 2021.
14. Chang K, Lu W, Zhang K, et al., Rapid urinary trypsinogen-2 test in the early diagnosis of acute pancreatitis: a meta-analysis. Clin Biochem. 2012 Sep;45(13-14):1051-6.