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Published in: Drugs 5/2009

01-03-2009 | Therapy in Practice

Treatment of Acute Pancreatitis

Focus on Medical Care

Authors: Dr Roland Andersson, Anna Swärd, Bobby Tingstedt, Daniel Åkerberg

Published in: Drugs | Issue 5/2009

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Abstract

Acute pancreatitis has an incidence of about 300 per 1 million individuals per year, of which 10–15% of patients develop the severe form of the disease. Novel management options, which have the potential to improve outcome, include initial proper fluid resuscitation, which maintains microcirculation and thereby potentially decreases ischaemia and reperfusion injury. The traditional treatment concept in acute pancreatitis, fasting and parenteral nutrition, has been challenged and early initiation of enteral feeding in severe pancreatitis and oral intake in mild acute pancreatitis is both feasible and provides some benefits. There are at present no data supporting immunonutritional supplements and probiotics should be avoided in patients with acute pancreatitis. There is also no evidence of any benefits provided by prophylactic antibacterials in patients with predicted severe acute pancreatitis. A variety of specific medical interventions have been investigated (e.g. intense blood glucose monitoring by insulin) but none has become clinically useful. Lessons can probably be learned from critical care in general, but studies are needed to verify these interventions in acute pancreatitis.
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Metadata
Title
Treatment of Acute Pancreatitis
Focus on Medical Care
Authors
Dr Roland Andersson
Anna Swärd
Bobby Tingstedt
Daniel Åkerberg
Publication date
01-03-2009
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Published in
Drugs / Issue 5/2009
Print ISSN: 0012-6667
Electronic ISSN: 1179-1950
DOI
https://doi.org/10.2165/00003495-200969050-00001

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