Anton Vavrečka
Acute pancreatitis is an acute inflammatory process of the pancreas, with variable involvement of other regional tissues or remote organ systems. Acute pancreatitis may have two different clinical forms: mild and severe. Mild acute pancreatitis is associated with minimal organ dysfunction and an uneventful recovery. Severe acute pancreatitis is associated with organ failure and/or local complication, such as necrosis, pseudocysts or abscesses and with mortality of 10 - 20 %. Acute ancreatitis has often a rapid onset and is accompanied by upper abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, tachycardia, hypotension and elevated pancreatic enzymes in blood and/or urine. Early prognostic evaluation of acute pancreatitis is basic for management of acute pancreatitis because treatment of severe form of acute pancreatitis is more aggressive than that of a mild form. Therapy must be in hospital with monitoring of vital functions, replacement of fluids and electrolyts. Prophylactic antibiotics are recommended in severe forms. Treatment of complications is symptomatic.