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New Insights into the Pathophysiology and Severity Assessment of Acute Pancreatitis

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Intensive Care Medicine

Abstract

Acute pancreatitis is an acute sterile inflammation of the pancreas. The diagnosis is made on the basis of a distinct clinical syndrome consisting of acute onset abdominal pain radiating to the back and frequently accompanied by nausea and/or vomiting, combined with a more than threefold increase of serum amylase or lipase above the upper limit of normal. In the western world the most common causes of acute pancreatitis are alcohol abuse and gallstones [1]. The disease is characterized by the premature activation of digestive enzymes in the pancreas, followed by a massive immunological response resulting in autodigestion of the gland, local, and subsequent systemic inflammation. The incidence of the disease varies between 5–20 per 100 000 persons per year, with 10–20% of patients developing severe pancreatitis of whom up to 30% may die as a result of the development of secondary complications such as pancreatitis-associated lung injury, infectious complications or multiple organ failure (MOF) [1]. This chapter will focus on recent developments in the understanding of the pathophysiology and immunopathology of acute pancreatitis and its complications and discuss the importance of early severity prediction including the merits of various prognostic markers.

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Authors
  1. D. J. van Westerloo
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  2. M. J. Bruno
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  3. T. van der Poll
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Intensive Care, Erasme Hospital, Free University of Brussels, Route de Lennik 808, B-1070, Brussels, Belgium

    Jean-Louis Vincent MD, PhD, FCCM, FCCP (Head) (Head)

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van Westerloo, D.J., Bruno, M.J., van der Poll, T. (2003). New Insights into the Pathophysiology and Severity Assessment of Acute Pancreatitis. In: Vincent, JL. (eds) Intensive Care Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-5548-0_76

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-5548-0_76

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-5550-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-5548-0

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