2022 Volume 37 Issue 5 Pages 215-221
The diagnosis of acute pancreatitis requires two of the following three features, including upper abdominal pain, abnormal value of serum or urinary pancreatic enzymes, and characteristic findings of acute pancreatitis on imaging studies. The urinary trypsinogen-2 dipstick is a useful diagnostic tool to evaluate outpatients. The etiology of acute pancreatitis must be investigated immediately after the diagnosis is made because indications for emergent endoscopic treatment should be considered for some patients with biliary pancreatitis. Severity assessment of acute pancreatitis is mandatory during the early management phase. Japanese severity criteria for acute pancreatitis include a prognostic score and contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan severity grade. Prognostic scores can be repeatedly determined. It is recommended that the severity score for acute pancreatitis should be repeatedly assessed at the time of admission, within 24 hours, and between 24 and 48 hours using the Japanese prognostic score. Serum IL-6 is useful to predict the severity of acute pancreatitis on admission.
