Can pancreatitis be contagious?

Written by Wu Hai Wu

Gastroenterology

Updated on February 05, 2025

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Pancreatitis is not contagious; it is a serious digestive system disease. The main causes of pancreatitis include gallstones, binge eating, alcohol abuse, and consumption of greasy foods among other factors. Once an attack of pancreatitis occurs, the patient must immediately refrain from eating and drinking, undergo gastrointestinal decompression, and have gastric juices, acids, and stomach contents suctioned out. Meanwhile, treatments for pancreatitis may involve the use of somatostatin or octreotide to inhibit the secretion of pancreatic juice, as well as the use of third-generation cephalosporins or quinolone antibiotics for anti-infection treatment. (Please use medications under the guidance of a physician.)

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Written by Wei Shi Liang

Intensive Care Unit

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Severe pancreatitis intestinal nutrition

In different stages of severe pancreatitis, the energy requirements vary. At the early onset of the disease, the principle of nutritional support is to provide the minimum metabolic substrates needed to maintain basic metabolic demands, correct metabolic disorders, and minimize protein loss to a reasonable level. Caloric provision should be between 20 to 25 kcal per kilogram per day. As the condition progresses, the focus of nutritional support gradually shifts towards increasing or balancing nutrient intake. Early intervention using jejunal tube feeding is considered safer. Formulas used should be tolerable by the intestines; initially, glucose water is used to help the intestines adapt to nutrition. Early use of low-fat formulas containing amino acids or short peptides is advisable. Additionally, whole proteins, after being digested by stomach acid and entering the intestines directly, may lead to poor absorption.

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Written by Wu Hai Wu

Gastroenterology

40sec

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How to take care of acute pancreatitis

Patients with pancreatitis should pay attention to their diet during the recovery period. The basic dietary principle for pancreatitis patients is to consume small amounts of easily digestible foods, with low protein and fat content, primarily carbohydrates. During acute episodes, it's crucial to strictly control the intake of fatty foods. Once the condition has improved, patients may gradually consume protein-rich, high-vitamin, high-carbohydrate foods, along with non-irritating, easily digestible foods. Patients should avoid consuming large amounts of meat and alcohol, and can eat rice soup, lotus root starch, noodles, etc.

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Written by Chen Rong

Gastroenterology

1min 14sec

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How is acute pancreatitis treated?

Acute pancreatitis is classified into mild pancreatitis and severe pancreatitis depending on the severity of the condition. Mild cases often recover within a week without residual effects; severe cases are perilous with a poor prognosis, and the mortality rate ranges from 20% to 40%. Treatment for mild pancreatitis includes fasting, gastrointestinal decompression, pain relief, antibiotics, intravenous nutrition, acid suppression, enzyme inhibition, etc. In addition to the aforementioned treatments, severe pancreatitis requires strict medical monitoring to maintain electrolyte balance, early parenteral nutrition transitioning to enteral nutrition, and the use of antibiotics to reduce pancreatic fluid secretion, such as the growth inhibitor octreotide, as well as enzyme activity suppressants like gabexate. If the pancreatitis is biliary in origin, an ERCP with a sphincterotomy of the sphincter of Oddi may be performed. In case of serious complications, surgical treatment may be considered. (Medications should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Li Qiang

Intensive Care Unit

1min 20sec

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The difference between severe pancreatitis and mild pancreatitis

Generally speaking, mild pancreatitis is just a local inflammation of the pancreas, usually manifested as upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and bloating — symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract. Severe pancreatitis, however, is much more serious than mild pancreatitis. In severe pancreatitis, not only is the pain in the local pancreas area more intense and the abdominal bloating more pronounced, but there is also a lot of effusion accumulating in the abdomen. Severe pancreatitis can also affect many other organs, such as the lungs, which are most commonly affected. It can lead to patients developing acute respiratory distress syndrome, characterized by severe hypoxemia, with many patients requiring mechanical ventilation treatment. Another organ that is commonly affected is the kidney, with many patients with severe pancreatitis experiencing acute renal failure, reduced urine output, or even anuria. Severe pancreatitis can also affect the heart, brain, and other organs, leading to functional abnormalities in these organs. Therefore, besides affecting the local pancreas, severe pancreatitis can involve other important organs, resulting in multiple organ dysfunctions.

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Written by Wu Hai Wu

Gastroenterology

48sec

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How many days of fasting for acute pancreatitis?

The duration for which patients with acute pancreatitis must fast is determined by the severity of their condition. Some may only need to fast for a day or two, while others may require around three to four days, or even a week. In severe cases of acute pancreatitis, it might be difficult to say how long the fasting could last, potentially around two weeks. Once patients with pancreatitis start eating after a series of active treatments such as anti-infection measures, inhibiting pancreatic secretion, replenishing electrolytes, and balancing acid-base levels, and following treatments like using rhubarb to facilitate bowel movements, if their bowel movements and gas expulsion have mostly returned to normal and amylase levels have largely normalized, they can cautiously start consuming low-fat, high-vitamin, and high-calorie liquid foods.