Pancreatitis: What Happens

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What Happens

Pancreatitis usually appears as a sudden (acute) attack of pain in the upper area of the belly (abdomen). The disease may be mild or severe.

Acute pancreatitis

Most people with pancreatitis have mild acute pancreatitis. The disease does not affect their other organs, and they recover without problems. In most cases, the disease goes away within a week after treatment begins. Treatment occurs in the hospital with pain medicines and intravenous (IV) fluids. After inflammation goes away, the pancreas usually returns to normal.

Complications that may occur in or near the pancreas include tissue death, fluid buildup, and infection. Other complications in other parts of the body can also happen, including shock, respiratory failure, and kidney failure.

In some cases, pancreatic tissue is permanently damaged or even dies (necrosis). These complications increase the risk of infection and organ failure.

Chronic pancreatitis

Long-term pancreatitis (chronic pancreatitis) may develop after one or more episodes of acute pancreatitis. It usually occurs after at least 10 years of heavy drinking. It occurs in up to 15 out of 100 people of people who drink heavily.^{3 1}

What happens during the course of chronic pancreatitis varies. Often, ongoing pain and complications develop. Complications may include flare-ups of symptoms, fluid buildup, bleeding, and blockage of a blood vessel, the bile duct, or the small intestine.

If much of your pancreatic tissue has died, you may become malnourished because the pancreas no longer produces enzymes needed to digest fat and protein. When this happens, fat is released into your stool. This condition, called steatorrhea, causes loose, pale, unusually foul-smelling stools that may float in the toilet bowl.

If the damaged pancreas stops making enough insulin, you also may develop diabetes.

Chronic pancreatitis increases the risk of pancreatic cancer. About 4 out of 100 people with chronic pancreatitis develop this cancer.⁴

In severe cases, pancreatitis can be fatal.

Last updated:	July 02, 2007
Author:	Monica Rhodes
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Brent Shoji, MD - General Surgery
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC