Acute and Chronic Pancreatitis

OVERVIEW:
 Pancreatitis is inflammation in the pancreas.
 The pancreas is a long, flat gland that sits tucked behind the stomach in the
upper abdomen.
CAUSES OF PANCREATITIS:
 Alcoholism
 Gallstones
 Abdominal surgery
 Certain medications
 Cigarette smoking
 Cystic fibrosis
 Family history of pancreatitis
 Infection
 Injury to the abdomen
 Pancreatic cancer
ACUTE PANCREATITIS
 Acute pancreatitis means inflammation of the pancreas that develops
quickly over a few days or so.
 Appears suddenly and lasts for days
 The main symptom is tummy (abdominal) pain. It usually settles in a few
days but sometimes it becomes severe and very serious.
 It often goes away completely and leaves no permanent damage though
sometimes it is serious.
 The most common causes of acute pancreatitis are gallstones and drinking
a lot of alcohol.
CHRONIC PANCREATITIS
 The progressive inflammatory process of pancreas that gets worse over
time and leads to permanent damage.
 The inflammation tends to be less intense than acute pancreatitis but as it
is ongoing it can cause scarring and damage. 
 The inflammation tends to be less intense than acute pancreatitis but as it
is ongoing it can cause scarring and damage. 
Laboratory tests:
 Blood tests
 Transabdominal ultrasound
 Endoscopic ultrasound
 Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)
 Computed Tomography (CT) Scan (with Contrast Dye)
 Secretin Stimulation Test
 Fecal Elastase Test
 Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

Nursing Diagnoses:

 Acute pain
 Risk for fluid volume deficit
 Hyperthermia
 Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirement
 Risk for infection
 Fatigue
 Risk for bleeding