A CASE OF ACUTE PANCREANTITIS

The pancreas is located in the upper chest cavity. It is found below the liver and stomach while being above the small intestine and between the kidneys

The pancreatic juices are made in the acinar tissues and are transported to the duodenum by secreting into the pancreatic duct system
Bile is produced in the liver tissues called hepatic parenchyma and flows through the biliary ductal system to the duodenum, both exit through the papilla of Vater

The function of the exocrine gland lies in excreting enzymes to break down proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids in food, while the endocrine secretes Insulin and Glucagon to maintain homeostasis on a glucose level

When proteins and fats are put into the digestive tract some intestines will produce Cholecystokinin along with Secretin which then stimulates the pancreas and, Gastrin is made within the stomach to further stimulate the release of pancreatic juices

If proteases were released directly active they would digest the pancreas itself so its released in an inactive state until in the stomach and small intestine which its then activated by certain secretions and the high acidity of the regions

Acute pancreatitis is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas usually due to the enzymes prematurely activating and digesting the pancreas a bit, usually easily correctable and rarely fatal (less than 5%), theres also chronic pancreatitis which is 50% fatal often the digestion of the pancreas causes weaken blood vessels and the strong enzymes get in the blood stream

COMMON CAUSES

• Heavy Alcoholism
• Some infections such as mumps
• Tumors
• Direct trauma
• Gallstones
• Certain medications

SYMPTOMS

• Upper abdominal or back pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Bloating
• Fat in stool
• Indigestion
• Loss of appetite
• Sweating
• Fast heart rate
• Weight loss

GEORGES SYMPTOMS

• Upper abdominal pain upon palpation
• Gaseous distention (Bloating)
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Tachycardia (Rapid heart rate)

Referred pain is pain found in another place on the body than the place that is being damaged or otherwise would feel the pain, it is found in pancreatitis generally feeling it in the back and its found in many other intestinal pains due the the afferent pain fibers of your intestines following a similar path to that of the sympathetic nervous system

TREATMENT

• Fluids (given intravenously)
• Nutrition after 24-48 hours
• Pain relief (intravenous medication)
• Treating the problem:
• Removal of gallstones
• Removal of medication if the cause
• Reduction of triglycerides if high
• Reduction of high calcium if present

TREATMENT (CONTINUED)

• Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
• SPHINCTEROTOMY- Uses a small tiny wire to make a tiny incision on the muscle around pancreatic or bile duct to widen it a little
• GALLSTONE REMOVAL- the gallstones are collected and removed in a tiny basket
• STENT PLACEMENT- a small plastic or metal straw like object is placed to keep the duct open
• BALLOON DILATATION- a balloon is placed to stretch and widen the ductal opening