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Pancreatitis facts*

*Pancreatitis facts Medically Edited by: Charles P. Davis, MD, PhD

• Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, the organ that secretes digestive enzymes into the gastrointestinal tract; it also synthesizes and secretes insulin and glucagon.
• Pancreatitis may be caused by gallstones (by blocking the pancreatic duct outlet), chronic alcohol use, trauma, medications, infections, tumors, and genetic abnormalities.
• Acute pancreatitis with upper abdominal pain that is often severe and constant over several days, and may be accompanied by fever, nausea, vomiting, tachycardia, and abdominal swelling; severe cases can develop dehydration, low blood pressure, shock, organ failure, and death.
• Acute pancreatitis is diagnosed preliminarily by the patient's history, physical exam and the levels of amylase and lipase in the blood (elevated in pancreatitis patients); other t...

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