Acute Pancreatitis

 Acute Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is the sudden inflammation of the pancreas, which can range from mild to life-threatening.

Causes

Gallstones are a major cause of acute pancreatitis, as they can physically obstruct the duct through which pancreatic fluid enters and exits the pancreas.

The condition is also often caused by chronic alcohol overconsumption. This clogs the small pores in the pancreas that drain into the pancreatic duct, also obstructing the flow of pancreatic fluid.

Certain drugs and viruses are also known to cause easily-resolvable inflammation of the pancreas.

Disease pathway

A blockage traps enzyme-containing fluids inside the pancreas. Over time, the accumulated enzymes begin to erode the cells of the pancreas, giving rise to severe inflammation.

Symptoms and diagnosis

Almost all sufferers of acute pancreatitis will experience severe pain in the upper abdomen, which has also been known to spread to the back.

Vigorous movement, including coughing, may worsen the pain. Many patients report nausea, and the need to vomit.

Acute pancreatitis cannot be confirmed with a single test, although the combination of a number of tests can be used to do so. These include physical examinations of the abdominal region, analysis of enzyme levels in the blood, and a white blood cell count.

Treatment

Treatment for acute pancreatitis involves hospitalization, where the patient is closely monitored.

They are required to abstain from food or drink, to allow the pancreas to rest. Nutrients and fluids are given intravenously. Analgesics may be administered for pain relief.

When acute pancreatitis is caused by gallstones, the most appropriate course of treatment varies between cases. In some situations, the patient will pass the gallstone spontaneously. In others, surgical intervention is required to remove the stone.

Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:

Selenium Supplement [1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present. IMPORTANT: Selenium is toxic in high doses. Massive overdoses can cause kidney failure, breathing difficulty and death. Selenium should only be taken at healthy levels which the body is able to tolerate.

Recommendation: No recommendation (Available evidene does not support claims that selenium helps to prevent or treat pancreatitis)

Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence

Chlorella (Green Algae, Chlorella Pyrenoidosa) [1, 2, 3, 4]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: no recommendation (There is insufficient evidence to support claims that Chlorella helps to treat pancreatitis in any way)

Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence

* www.gradeworkinggroup.org 

Summary References

Treatments:

1. Ades T, Alteri R, Gansler T, Yeargin P, "Complete Guide to Complimentary & Alternative Cancer Therapies", American Cancer Society, Atlanta USA, 2009

2. Nakano, S et al. “Maternal-fetal distribution and transfer of dioxins in pregnant women in Japan, and attempts to reduce maternal transfer with Chlorella (Chlorella pyrenoidosa) supplements...” Chemosphere 2005 Dec; 61(9): 1244–55.

3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=retrieve&db=pubmed&list_uids=11347287&dopt=Abstract

4. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/chlorella

5. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/selenium?sitearea=ETO

6. http://www.cancer.gov/Templates/doc.aspx?viewid=ED8AD8E8-6AE5-458D-8091-393F4CB73F0D

7. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-selenium.html

8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9290116

9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9829869

10. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10335455

11. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2136228

12. http://www.springerlink.com/content/v0r644v4ju5153k2/

13. http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/101/5/283






 

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