Pancreatitis is inflammation
of the pancreas gland.It is responsible for production of digestive enzymes
like trypsin,amylase and lipase that aids in digestion of food.Pancreatitis
occurs when these enzymes get auto-activated in pancreas and start
digesting pancreas itself.Pancreattis can be acute or chronic
pancreatitis.While acute pancreatitis is mainly due to biliary stones,chronic
pancreatitis is due to alcohol intake.But it also important to remember that
there are many other conditions leading to Pancreatitis.Some other important
causes are:
1.Abdominal Trauma
2.Steroids
3.Mumps infection
4.Autoimmune condition
5.Hypercalcemia
6.Triglyceridemia
7.Scorpion sting
8.Pancreatic divisum
9.Medicines like azathioprine,
thiazides, sulfonamides, furosemide, estrogens, and tetracycline.
Acute pancreatitis is of short duration and does not
leave any permanent damage.But in minority of cases it can be life threatening.Chronic
pancreatitis is of longer duration and can have permanent tissue damage.As a
result it cannot produce enough enzymes to digest the food and can lead to
malabsorption of food and also sometimes insulin deficiency causing diabetes in
later stages of disease.
What are symptoms of Pancreatitis?
1.Severe Abdominal pain that often radiates to back
2.Nausea and Vomiting that gets worse after food
3. Fever
4.Loss of weight
5.Oily,smelly stools
6.Diabetes in later stages (Polyuria,Polydipsia,Polyphagia)
Treatment of Pancreatitis in Nepal:
Doctors run necessary test to diagnose pancreatitis.Serum
amylase and lipase are repeatedly done in hospital for diagnosis of the pancreatitis.Abdominal
USG and CT scan are also helpful to diagnose the disease.Management includes
treating the cause of pancreatits and symptomatic management of the attack.ICU
stay may be needed in severe cases.Most of the cases need conservative management.In
cases of Gall stones,Cholecystectomy is also done.
Management includes:
1.Pain management: You will be given IV analgesics to
control abdominal pain
2.IV Fluids
3.Nutrition: It is good not to take anything by mouth
when pancreatitis is severe to allow pancreas to rest and heal.However in mild
cases,you can take low fat soft diet
4.Antibiotics: Antibiotics are used when infection is
suspected.Not recommended in every case.
Complications of Pancreatitis
1.Pseudocyst of Pancreas
2.Pleural effusion
3.Malabsorption of food leading to weight loss
4.Diabetes Mellitus
Is pancreatitis completely curable ?
The answer lies in the cause of pancreatitis. If it is
due to gall bladder stones causing blockage in outflow of enzymes ,removal of
gall bladder and the stone will cure the
disease.if it is due to alcohol intake,stopping of alcohol consumption will
cure your pancreatitis.To conclude, it can be said that if the cause can be
treated,you pancreatitis can be cured.However in minority of cases,the cause is
idiopathic that means even after running all the test,the cause of pancreatitis
can not be found out.In such cases it is very difficult to cure the disease and
there are high chances of repeated future attacks.
