ACUTE PANCREATITIS

Pain, and nausea and vomiting are the two cardinal symptoms of acute pancreatitis. There are variations in the combinations of symptoms that appear in patients who have acute pancreatitis, but in most cases the combination fits one or another of five classifications. Blood amylase and urinary diastase determinations are valuable aids in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. These findings must be correlated with the stage of the disease. As the disease may be treated successfully (by means outlined) without surgical intervention, clinical diagnosis is important. Cholecystograms after an attack of acute pancreatitis, although advisable, should not be made too soon after subsidence, because of the danger of exacerbation.