Does acute pancreatitis have anything to do with the stomach?

Written by He Zong Quan

General Surgery

Updated on February 21, 2025

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Acute pancreatitis is not closely related to stomach conditions, although it is sometimes associated with overeating, but it is not caused by stomach diseases in patients. Instead, it relates to lifestyle habits. The occurrence of pancreatitis is often considered to be due to biliary, alcoholic, hyperlipidemia, and idiopathic causes. In China, the most common causes are biliary and alcohol-related. Biliary causes are mainly related to gallstones, while alcohol-related causes are mostly associated with drinking. Common stomach diseases include gastritis, ulcers, and stomach cancer. These conditions can sometimes cause an increase in amylase during acute abdominal conditions, but they do not cause acute pancreatitis.

Other Voices

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Written by Jiang Guo Ming

Gastroenterology

56sec

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What are the clinical manifestations of acute pancreatitis?

Acute pancreatitis includes two main types: acute edematous pancreatitis and acute necrotizing pancreatitis. It is a common acute and critical condition of the digestive system, particularly acute necrotizing pancreatitis, which can often be life-threatening. The primary symptoms usually include severe upper left abdominal pain, fever, chills, shivering, vomiting, etc. There is a significant relationship between abdominal pain and eating; generally, the pain worsens after eating and can sometimes radiate to the back. The main causes could be binge drinking, overeating, cholecystitis, gallstones, or hyperlipidemia, among others. Diagnosis is usually confirmed through examinations such as an upper abdominal CT and serum and urine amylase tests, followed by appropriate treatment measures.

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Written by Li Qiang

Intensive Care Unit

51sec

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What is acute severe pancreatitis?

Acute severe pancreatitis is caused by many reasons, including binge eating, especially consuming a large amount of high-fat diet, excessive drinking, obstruction of the pancreatic duct by gallstones in the bile duct, pregnancy, hyperlipidemia, etc. These lead to disorders in pancreatic secretion, resulting in pancreatic juices digesting the pancreas itself and leaking into the abdominal cavity, leading to symptoms such as abdominal effusion. It is classified as severe pancreatitis based on reaching a certain score in some assessments. Severe pancreatitis often accompanies dysfunction of organ systems, common examples include acute respiratory distress syndrome characterized by stubborn hypoxia and respiratory failure, acute renal failure shown by anuria or oliguria, and acute gastrointestinal failure, which manifests as high abdominal pressure and severe intestinal motility disorders, including abdominal distension.

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Written by Si Li Li

Gastroenterology

53sec

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Dietary care for acute pancreatitis

Symptoms of acute pancreatitis include severe upper abdominal pain. During the treatment, it is essential to fast and decompress the stomach and intestines initially during the abdominal pain period. Once the pain subsides, the patient can begin a liquid diet, followed by a gradual transition to a semi-liquid diet under the guidance of a doctor. Since the causes of acute pancreatitis include binge eating or excessive alcohol consumption, patients with acute pancreatitis should abstain from alcohol and maintain a balanced diet to prevent binge eating. A light diet is preferable, avoiding fatty, greasy, fried, and barbecued foods. Additionally, it is important to maintain regular rest patterns and avoid excessive fatigue or staying up late.

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Written by Yang Chun Guang

Gastroenterology

51sec

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What IV fluids should be administered for acute pancreatitis?

If the diagnosis confirms acute pancreatitis, venous medication generally involves the use of proton pump inhibitors to suppress gastric acid, which also helps reduce the secretion of pancreatic enzymes. Meanwhile, to prevent infection, antibiotics can be used appropriately. Medications that reduce pancreatic secretion, such as octreotide or somatostatin, can be considered, as well as drugs that inhibit pancreatic enzyme activity. Since patients with pancreatitis must abstain from food and water intake, it is important to pay attention to energy intake and maintain electrolyte balance. Once acute pancreatitis is confirmed, it is essential to seek hospital treatment as this condition can be quite dangerous. All mentioned medications should be used under the guidance of a doctor.

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Written by Li Qiang

Intensive Care Unit

1min 47sec

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How long does it take to cure acute severe pancreatitis?

Acute severe pancreatitis is a disease with a long treatment period and high treatment costs. Acute severe pancreatitis is pathologically staged, generally divided into the organ failure phase, also known as the inflammatory response phase. Typically, this occurs within 7 days after the onset of severe pancreatitis, during which there is a massive release of inflammatory factors, causing multiple organ failures. This stage is perilous and often requires the support of multiple organ functions, such as ventilators and hemofiltration treatments. After this inflammatory response phase, it transitions into a chronic phase of abdominal infection, which occurs approximately one week to one or two months after the onset. At this time, there is a large amount of effusion in the abdominal cavity, and some of the effusion may develop secondary infections. The main treatment at this stage involves puncture drainage of the effusion. Once an infection is detected, puncture drainage is performed on the infected site to manage the infection. Therefore, the treatment period for severe pancreatitis primarily depends on the duration of organ function support, recovery time of organ functions, and the severity of the infection. Some organ function support may be prolonged, requiring several months, and sometimes irreversible conditions occur, such as acute renal failure transitioning into chronic renal failure. Abdominal infections are more complex. If the infection is severe and recurrent, long-term puncture drainage or surgical removal of the infection may be necessary, often requiring several months of treatment.