Evidence-Based Approach Recommended for Acute Pancreatitis Management
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, March 18, 2024 -- In a clinical guideline issued by the American College of Gastroenterology and published online in the March issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, evidence-based recommendations are presented for the management of patients with acute pancreatitis (AP).
Scott Tenner, M.D., M.P.H., from the State University of New York in Brooklyn, and colleagues discussed management of AP, defined as acute inflammation of the pancreas.
The authors note that AP is heterogeneous and progresses differently among patients. Most patients experience symptoms lasting a few days, but about 20 percent will experience complications including pancreatic necrosis and/or organ failure. To assess for biliary pancreatitis, transabdominal ultrasound is suggested for patients with AP; additional diagnostic evaluation is suggested for patients with idiopathic AP. Moderately aggressive fluid resuscitation is suggested for patients. Lactated Ringer solution is recommended over normal saline for intravenous resuscitation. In acute biliary pancreatitis without cholangitis, medical therapy is suggested over early endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. It is recommended that patients with severe AP should not receive prophylactic antibiotics. Patients with suspected infected pancreatic necrosis are not suggested to undergo fine needle aspiration. Early oral feeding (within 24 to 48 hours) is suggested for patients with mild AP as tolerated by the patient compared with the traditional nothing-by-mouth approach. Initial oral feeding with a low-fat solid diet is recommended for mild AP rather than a stepwise liquid-to-solid approach.
"Although further study is needed, the concept that urgent surgery is required in patients found to have infected necrosis is no longer valid," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted March 2024
Read this next
Pancreatic Enzyme Therapy Linked to Drop in Pediatric Acute Pancreatitis
TUESDAY, April 16, 2024 -- Use of pancreatic enzyme therapy (PERT) is associated with a reduction in the incidence rate of acute pancreatitis (AP) among children with pancreatic...
One Hundred Seventeen Cases of MIS-C Identified During 2023
THURSDAY, March 14, 2024 -- In 2023, 117 cases of multisystem inflammation syndrome in children (MIS-C) were reported, with 26 percent of patients having onset during August to...
Rheumatology Workforce Increased 20 Percent From 2009 to 2019
THURSDAY, March 14, 2024 -- The overall number of clinically active rheumatology providers grew more than 20 percent during the last decade, according to a study published online...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.