Acute pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas that occurs mainly due to excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages or the presence of gallbladder stones, causing severe abdominal pain that occurs suddenly and is highly disabling.
Geralmente, as pessoas com pancreatite aguda recuperam facilmente quando a causa da doença é identificada e, por isso, pode ser necessário fazer cirurgia para retirar pedras da vesícula, por exemplo.
- Acute pancreatitis is curable and treatment should be initiated in the hospital with medications directly into the vein to relieve symptoms.
The main cases of acute pancreatitis are
These symptoms can last only a few hours, but usually last about a week, during this period it is recommended to follow a medical treatment to relieve symptoms as well as to identify the cause of pancreatitis, as more specific treatment may be needed.
Diagnosis of pancreatitis can usually only be made based on each person’s symptoms and medical history; however, your doctor also prescribes tests, mainly blood tests to evaluate levels of pancreatic enzymes in your blood, such as lipase, which is usually very intense.high in cases of pancreatitis. Learn more about lipase testing and results.
Além disso, outros exames, como tomografia computadorizada, ressonância magnética ou ultrassom abdominal, também pode ser requisitados para tentar identificar alguma alteração que possa ser a causa da pancreatite e que precise de um tratamento mais específico.
Although most cases of acute pancreatitis occur due to excessive alcohol consumption or the presence of gallstones, there are other causes:
Although rarer, these causes should also be sought, especially if pancreatitis is not related to the most common causes.
Treatment of acute pancreatitis should be guided by a gastroenterologist, but usually involves internalizing the person and leaving them empty-headed, hydrating only with a saline solution in the vein; this procedure can relieve pain in about 80% of cases, as it reduces pancreatic activity, widely used in digestion.
In addition, your doctor may also prescribe the use of painkillers, acetaminophen or tramadol, as well as antibiotics, to relieve symptoms and prevent new infections, these remedies can be maintained even when the person is discharged and returns home.
In some cases, surgery may be required to remove gallstones or to remove the affected part of the pancreas; in these cases, the patient may develop diabetes because the pancreas is responsible for insulin production and therefore may need insulin injections for the rest.learn more about treating acute pancreatitis and when surgery is indicated.
The diet for acute pancreatitis involves fasting in the first few days of internment and until symptoms are controlled by medical treatment; in the most severe cases, the person receives food through a tube; then the feeding should start gradually, focusing on:
It is very important that the person does not eat very fatty foods, such as frying, cakes or snacks, since these foods need enzymes produced by the pancreas to be properly digested and, at this stage, the pancreas must rest to recover.To better understand what the pancreatitis diet should look like.