Principles of Treatment for Severe Pancreatitis

Written by Wang Li Bing
Intensive Care Medicine Department
Updated on September 14, 2024
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The treatment principles for severe pancreatitis mainly include the following points:

First, closely monitor the patient's heartbeat, respiration, blood pressure, blood oxygen, etc., and if possible, transfer them to the intensive care unit.

Second, maintain electrolyte balance and blood volume, and actively rehydrate.

Third, enhance nutritional support, which can include parenteral nutrition outside of gastrointestinal digestion.

Fourth, routinely use antibiotics in severe pancreatitis to prevent infection from necrotizing pancreatitis.

Fifth, reduce the secretion of pancreatic fluid, inhibit the synthesis of pancreatic enzymes, and suppress the activity of pancreatic enzymes. If the patient develops an infection associated with pancreatic necrosis, consider surgical treatment, etc.

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Written by Wang Li Bing
Intensive Care Medicine Department
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Treatment of severe pancreatitis

Severe pancreatitis must be managed with comprehensive measures and aggressive rescue treatment. For medical treatment, the first step is to enhance monitoring of vital signs such as heartbeat, respiration, and blood pressure. The second step involves actively replenishing fluids and electrolytes to maintain effective blood volume. Severe cases often experience shock, and it may be appropriate to administer albumin, plasma, etc. The third step for patients with severe pancreatitis, who typically have high metabolic demands, is to enhance nutritional support, possibly using parenteral nutrition. The fourth step involves routine use of antibiotics for severe pancreatitis to prevent infections related to pancreatic necrosis. The fifth step involves using somatostatin analogs like octreotide to suppress the secretion of pancreatic enzymes and pancreatic juice as part of conservative medical treatment. If pancreatic necrosis is complicated with infection, or if a pancreatic abscess forms, surgical treatment can be considered.

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Written by Zhu Dan Hua
Gastroenterology
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Pancreatitis is what?

Pancreatitis is a relatively common disease in gastroenterology, generally believed to be caused by various factors leading to the activation and autodigestion of the pancreas itself, resulting in inflammatory changes in the pancreas. Common causes include bile duct stones, alcohol consumption, and overeating, among others. Clinically, it is most commonly presented with symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and vomiting. Fever may also accompany these symptoms. The diagnostic criteria for pancreatitis generally include three standards: The first is typical upper abdominal pain, persistent upper abdominal pain; the second is a blood test showing blood amylase levels more than three times the normal value; the third involves typical abdominal imaging, such as ultrasound, CT, or MRI, indicating imaging changes like pancreatic effusion. If two out of these three criteria are met, pancreatitis can generally be diagnosed.

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Written by Zhu Dan Hua
Gastroenterology
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How is pancreatitis caused?

Pancreatitis is also a common disease in clinical practice, especially acute pancreatitis. There are many causes of acute pancreatitis. From a definitional perspective, it refers to the inflammatory changes in the pancreas caused by various reasons. For Chinese people, some common causes include biliary tract stones, cholelithiasis, etc., as well as excessive eating and drinking, hyperlipidemia, and alcohol consumption. The symptoms of pancreatitis include upper abdominal pain or pain in the waist and back, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, fever, etc. The diagnostic criteria for acute pancreatitis include typical abdominal pain, abnormal serum and urinary amylase levels, and abnormalities found in abdominal ultrasound or abdominal CT scans. If the aforementioned three criteria are met, pancreatitis can be diagnosed. The treatment plan for pancreatitis varies depending on the cause. For example, lipid lowering treatment is recommended for hyperlipidemia-induced cases, and surgical intervention is suggested for biliary tract stones.

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Written by Wang Li Bing
Intensive Care Medicine Department
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Severe pancreatitis diagnostic criteria

Diagnostic criteria for severe pancreatitis: First, based on the patient's clinical symptoms, symptoms such as restlessness, cold limbs, and mottled skin, indicative of shock, may appear. Second, physical examination signs, such as rigid abdominal muscles indicative of a positive peritoneal irritation sign, and Grey Turner's sign may also be present. Third, according to laboratory tests, the calcium levels generally significantly decrease, usually below 2 mmol/L, and elevated blood sugar levels greater than 11.2 mmol/L, typically without a history of diabetes. There may also be a sudden decrease in urine amylase. Fourth, diagnostic abdominal paracentesis reveals ascitic fluid with high amylase activity. Based on these points, severe pancreatitis can be considered.

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Written by Wu Hai Wu
Gastroenterology
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Can I drink tea with pancreatitis?

Patients with pancreatitis are advised not to drink tea. If the symptoms are severe, they might experience intense abdominal pain, stomach coldness, fever, and cessation of gas and bowel movements. Under these conditions, patients should not drink water or eat anything, and certainly should not drink tea. The causes of pancreatitis could be biliary stone-related inflammation, excessive drinking or eating, or due to alcohol consumption. A minority of cases might be due to anatomical abnormalities of the pancreas or autoimmune diseases. Therefore, once pancreatitis occurs, it is necessary to identify the cause and take appropriate treatment measures. This includes actively suppressing the secretion of pancreatic enzymes and stomach acid, aggressively rehydrating, and, if necessary, undergoing surgical treatment.