How long does it take to recover from mild acute pancreatitis?

Written by He Zong Quan
General Surgery
Updated on November 15, 2024
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After an acute pancreatitis attack, most require fasting, gastrointestinal decompression, acid suppression, enzyme inhibition, fluid replenishment, and maintenance of water and electrolyte balance to achieve early recovery from pancreatitis.

After the onset of acute pancreatitis, it is first necessary to understand the cause of pancreatitis. Many patients have biliary pancreatitis, and some are considered to be caused by alcohol or hyperlipidemia. Depending on the type of pancreatitis, the course of the disease may vary. Clinically, the most common biliary pancreatitis caused by gallstones generally improves with conservative treatment. In most cases, the condition can be controlled within about three days and recovery can occur within a week, whereas pancreatitis caused by hyperlipidemia or alcohol may take about ten days to control the progression of the disease.

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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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What department should I go to for acute pancreatitis?

Acute pancreatitis can be treated at the Department of Gastroenterology in local hospitals. It commonly begins with abdominal pain clinically, so it is recommended that patients first visit the Department of Gastroenterology. The pain from acute pancreatitis is primarily in the upper abdomen, persistent, and may radiate to the back. Of course, some patients may experience nausea, vomiting, cessation of gas and bowel movements, fever, etc. For such patients, it is recommended to complete examinations such as blood amylase, urine amylase, and lipase. When necessary, an abdominal ultrasound and CT scan should be conducted to assess the condition of the pancreatitis. Diagnosing pancreatitis is generally straightforward. As for treatment, it mainly involves internal medicine pharmacotherapy, fasting, fluid replacement, gastrointestinal decompression, and suppressing pancreatic secretion, among others. Of course, if complications arise, surgical intervention by the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery may be required. (The use of medication should be under the guidance of a doctor.)

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What are the causes of acute pancreatitis?

There are many causes of acute pancreatitis. Common primary causes include improper diet: overeating, alcohol consumption, preference for spicy or rich foods, etc. Additionally, hyperlipidemia and cholelithiasis are also reasons, along with surgical trauma such as cholangiography, gastrectomy, etc. Other diseases can also lead to acute pancreatitis, such as hypercalcemia, diabetic coma, hyperparathyroidism, rheumatism, necrotizing vasculitis, etc.; viral infections can also cause pancreatitis, and long-term use of medications can cause acute inflammation, such as tetracycline, corticosteroids, etc. Acute pancreatitis initially presents with severe, acute abdominal pain, commonly in the left, upper middle quadrant, and occasionally radiating to the back. Subsequently, vomiting, fever, and in severe cases, shock may occur. Acute pancreatitis is a type of acute abdomen and can be life-threatening. If symptoms occur, it is crucial to seek immediate hospital treatment.

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How long will the fever last in acute pancreatitis?

Patients with acute pancreatitis may experience different symptoms based on the cause of the pancreatitis and the staging of the patient's condition. A fever in acute pancreatitis indicates a severe infection. If a CT scan shows extensive pancreatic effusion, coupled with hyperglycemia and hypocalcemia, it suggests that the condition is severe and there is a tendency towards severe pancreatitis. This type of fever generally requires treatment, sometimes even surgical intervention, and usually takes about half a month to a month to subside. If the fever is caused solely by biliary pancreatitis due to bile duct obstruction by gallstones, and surgical intervention to remove the obstruction is performed, the fever will typically diminish significantly in the short term.

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Causes of vomiting in acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis vomiting has various causes. Firstly, the pancreas is a digestive organ, and upon the onset of pancreatitis, a large amount of pancreatic enzymes is secreted, which significantly affects digestive functions. This easily causes gastrointestinal reactions, and if undigested stomach contents remain in the stomach cavity for too long, it will increase stomach cavity pressure, leading to frequent vomiting. The vomiting caused by acute pancreatitis generally does not alleviate symptoms after vomiting. The treatment primarily targets acute pancreatitis, including enzyme inhibition, acid suppression, and fasting to help reduce vomiting. The occurrence of vomiting is also related to increased intra-abdominal pressure. Following the onset of acute pancreatitis, if treatment is not timely, it can lead to increased intra-abdominal pressure. This increase in pressure can affect gastrointestinal motility, causing reflexive symptoms of nausea and vomiting.