Acute pancreatitis: Treatment strategies

Acute pancreatitis is an acute painful abdominal disease of sudden onset that ranges from a mild and self-limited illness to a severe and severe life-threatening condition. In spite of decades of intensive research, there are no causal therapeutic options. Treatment relies on supportive treatment principles based on adequate volume replacement to compensate for fluid loss in the intraperitoneal space and analgesics for pain relief. In cases with acute pancreatitis predicted to have a severe course of the disease, antibiotic therapy is recommended to avoid infection of pancreatic necrosis. Despite a substantial set of clinical trials in favor of antibiotic treatment to reduce morbidity, there is no general consensus on the prophylactic antibiotic treatment. Adequate nutritional support is required for patients with severe acute pancreatitis and a protracted course of the disease. Enteral nutrition appears to be superior to enteral nutrition. Copyright (C) 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel.