🥚 Gastrointestinal🟢 BasicPancreatic Disorders

Acute Pancreatitis

Sudden inflammation of the pancreas as its own digestive enzymes are activated and begin to digest the gland.

Key points

Acute pancreatitis is sudden inflammation of the pancreas, when its digestive enzymes are activated inside the gland and damage it.
The commonest causes are gallstones and alcohol, remembered within the wider list by the phrase 'I GET SMASHED'.
It causes severe upper abdominal pain that bores through to the back, with vomiting.
Blood shows a raised amylase or lipase, and the severity is judged by scoring systems and by imaging.
Severe disease can cause shock, a low blood calcium, and later collections of fluid or dead tissue in the pancreas.

Memory trick

Acute pancreatitis is the pancreas digesting itself (gallstones, alcohol; 'I GET SMASHED'): severe upper-abdomen pain boring to the back, vomiting; raised amylase or lipase; severe disease brings shock, low calcium, fluid collections.

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🥚 Gastrointestinal🟢 BasicPancreatic Disorders

Acute Pancreatitis

Sudden inflammation of the pancreas as its own digestive enzymes are activated and begin to digest the gland.

Key points

Acute pancreatitis is sudden inflammation of the pancreas, when its digestive enzymes are activated inside the gland and damage it.
The commonest causes are gallstones and alcohol, remembered within the wider list by the phrase 'I GET SMASHED'.
It causes severe upper abdominal pain that bores through to the back, with vomiting.
Blood shows a raised amylase or lipase, and the severity is judged by scoring systems and by imaging.
Severe disease can cause shock, a low blood calcium, and later collections of fluid or dead tissue in the pancreas.

Memory trick

All of General Medicine More Gastrointestinal