Acute pancreatitis is inflammation in the pancreas that occurs by suddenly. This disease is characterized by pain that appears suddenly in the middle, right, or left abdomen.
The pancreas is an organ located behind the stomach and close to the small intestine. This organ is responsible for producing and distributing the hormone insulin and digestive enzymes.
Acute pancreatitis is different from chronic pancreatitis. Inflammation in acute pancreatitis occurs suddenly, whereas inflammation in chronic pancreatitis develops slowly over years.
Symptoms of Acute Pancreatitis
The main symptom of acute pancreatitis is a sudden onset of abdominal pain. This pain tends to appear in the middle of the abdomen, but sometimes feels on the right or left side of the abdomen. Pain from acute pancreatitis is often severe and radiates to the chest and back.
Other symptoms that may arise in acute pancreatitis are:
- Fever.
- Diarrhea.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Indigestion.
- The stomach swells and hurts to the touch.
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice).
- The heart beats faster than normal (tachycardia).
Abdominal pain in acute pancreatitis will get worse when lying down and when eating or drinking, especially when eating fatty foods.
Other symptoms that can arise are dehydration and low blood pressure. This occurs when acute pancreatitis worsens and affects other organs, such as the heart, lungs, and kidneys.
The timing of the appearance of symptoms of acute pancreatitis depends on the cause. In acute pancreatitis caused by gallstones, symptoms appear after eating large meals. However, when caused by excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, symptoms will appear 6-12 hours later.
When to go to the doctor
Consult a doctor if you experience pain in the stomach that lasts continuously and does not get better. Especially if the pain gets worse and makes you very uncomfortable.
Immediately go to the hospital emergency room if severe abdominal pain is accompanied by nausea and vomiting, fever, bloody stools, and the stomach feels hard to the touch.
Causes of Acute Pancreatitis
In the majority of cases, acute pancreatitis is caused by the presence of gallstones and alcohol consumption. Here is the explanation:
- GallstonesGallstones can cause acute inflammation of the pancreas. This occurs when gallstones come out of the gallbladder and block the pancreatic duct. Approximately 40% of cases of acute pancreatitis are caused by blockage of gallstones.
- Habit of consuming alcoholAlthough the exact mechanism of alcohol consumption with the emergence of acute pancreatitis is not known, it is suspected that excessive alcohol consumption makes alcohol turn into toxic chemicals that can damage the pancreas. Alcohol addiction is the cause of 30% of cases of acute pancreatitis.
In addition to the two things above, the following conditions can also increase the risk of acute pancreatitis, such as:
- Congenital and genetic disorders, such as cystic fibrosis.
- Pancreatic cancer.
- High triglycerides.
- Drug side effects
- High levels of calcium in the blood which can be caused by hyperparathyroidism.
- Obesity.
- Viral infections, such as measles and mumps.
- Side effects of gallstone removal or examination of the pancreas.
Diagnosis of Acute Pancreatitis
The doctor will ask the patient's symptoms and check whether the patient's stomach is hard or tense. After that, the doctor will perform a supporting examination, in the form of:
- Blood tests, to measure levels of amylase and lipase enzymes.
- Scan with ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI to look for gallstones, as well as to determine the severity of acute pancreatitis.
Acute Pancreatitis Treatment
Patients with acute pancreatitis must be hospitalized in a hospital so that their condition can be monitored. Before giving treatment, the doctor will advise the patient to fast, to give the pancreas recovery time.
If the inflammation in the pancreas has subsided, the patient can start eating soft foods. The consistency of the food will be gradually increased, until the patient can eat solid foods as usual. In addition, the doctor will also provide treatment in the form of:
- Infusion, to provide nutrition and fluid intake.
- Painkillers, to relieve pain.
- Oxygen, to maintain oxygen levels in the body.
- Antibiotics, if the pancreas and surrounding organs are infected.
After the patient's condition is stable, the doctor will treat the cause of acute pancreatitis. If acute pancreatitis is caused by gallstones, the doctor will remove the gallstones through a procedure endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) or by collectionstetomy surgery.
In acute pancreatitis caused by alcoholism, the doctor will advise the patient to follow a rehabilitation program to overcome alcoholism.
Patients with mild acute pancreatitis who are hospitalized usually recover and can go home within a few days. However, in severe acute pancreatitis, the treatment time will be longer, and sometimes the patient even needs to be treated intensively in the ICU.
Complications of Acute Pancreatitis
Patients with acute pancreatitis usually recover within a few days. However, if not treated properly, acute pancreatitis can lead to the following complications:
- Pseudocysts, which is the appearance of cysts or fluid-filled sacs on the surface of the inflamed pancreas. These cysts can go away on their own, but sometimes they can become infected or even cause bleeding.
- Necrosis or death of pancreatic tissue, due to loss of blood supply. If this happens, the pancreas can become infected.
- In advanced stages, the infection can spread to various organs of the body and cause sepsis and organ failure.
Prevention of Acute Pancreatitis
Acute pancreatitis is closely related to alcohol consumption and gallstones. Therefore, prevention can be done by:
- Reduce or stop consuming alcoholic beverages.
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet.
- Avoid consumption of foods that contain high cholesterol.
- Regular exercise to maintain ideal body weight.