The management of the patient with acute pancreatitis: from evidence to clinical practice

Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory disorder of the pancreas characterized by abdominal pain and elevation of pancreatic enzymes in the blood. The pathogenesis is complex and partly unknown and the evolution is often unpredictable. Many efforts have been made to define this disease and its complications and to classify different grades of severity in order to formulate prognostic scores that could guide the physician in choosing the optimal therapeutic setting and procedures. The management of the patient with pancreatitis is not always optimal and differs among internist, gastroenterologist or surgeon. We think that a patient with clinical suspicion of acute pancreatitis is admitted to medical or surgical department depending on the availability of beds and not according to evidence-based medicine. The aim of this monograph is to identify the optimal management of patients with acute pancreatitis admitted to hospital.