Acute Pancreatitis

Gastrointestinal/Nutrition · ~8% of blueprint

Pathophysiology: Premature intra-acinar enzyme activation → pancreatic autodigestion & inflammation; gallstones/alcohol most common.
Signs & Symptoms: Severe epigastric pain radiating to the back, N/V, worse supine; ± Cullen’s / Grey-Turner signs.
Gold Standard Diagnosis: ≥2 of 3: characteristic pain, lipase/amylase ≥3× ULN, or imaging findings (CT if unclear).
First-line Treatment: Aggressive IV fluids, analgesia, NPO then early feeding; treat the underlying cause.

High-Yield Pearl

Lipase is more specific than amylase; gallstones and alcohol cause ~80% of cases.

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