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, chest or flanks, worse supine, N/V; ± 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
- Moderately aggressive IV fluids (lactated Ringer preferred), analgesia, early refeeding; treat the cause.
High-Yield Pearl
Lipase is preferred over amylase (amylase alone unreliable); gallstones 40–70%, alcohol 25–35%.
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Gross Anatomy
Physiology
Sources
Reviewed September 2026- American College of Gastroenterology Guidelines: Management of Acute Pancreatitis — American College of Gastroenterology, 2024
- StatPearls: Acute Pancreatitis — StatPearls Publishing, 2026
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