The treatment that you receive for acute pancreatitis will depend on whether you have the mild form of the condition, which causes no complications, or the severe form, which can cause serious complications.
Mild acute pancreatitis
The treatment of mild acute pancreatitis is relatively straightforward and can usually be successfully carried out by admitting you to a general hospital ward.
You will not be able to eat until the inflammation inside your pancreas has resolved, which usually takes around five days. This is because trying to digest solid food could place too much strain on your pancreas.
Because pancreatitis can damage your lungs and affect normal lung function, your body will be supplied with oxygen through tubes that are connected to your nose. The tubes can then be removed after a few days once it is clear that your condition is improving.
Your body can become dehydrated during an episode of acute pancreatitis, so fluids will be provided through a tube that is connected to one of your veins.
The pain associated with even mild cases of acute pancreatitis can be severe, so you may require quite a strong, opiate-based painkiller which may make you feel very drowsy. Therefore, if you are visiting someone who is in hospital as a result of mild acute pancreatitis, you should not be alarmed or concerned if they appear drowsy or unresponsive.
Treating the underlying cause
Gallstones
If testing shows that a gallstone is responsible for the pancreatitis, surgical removal of the gallbladder will usually be recommended.
This may be done while you are in hospital or, alternatively, the surgery may be planned for a number of weeks in the future.
Having your gallbladder removed should have no significant affect on your health other than making it more difficult to digest certain foods, such as fatty or spicy foods, than it used to be.
See the Health A-Z topic about Gallbladder removal for more information.
Alcohol use
All patients who have had pancreatitis should avoid alcohol completely for at least six months, whatever the cause of the pancreatitis. This is because alcohol can cause further damage to the pancreas during the recovery phase, even if acute pancreatitis is caused by alcohol.
If you find this difficult to do, for example, if you have developed a dependence on alcohol, you will probably need additional treatment. Treatment options for alcohol dependence include:
See Alcohol misuse - treatment for more information and advice.
Severe acute pancreatitis
If you are diagnosed with severe acute pancreatitis, you will need to be admitted to an high dependency unit or intensive care unit (ICU).
It is likely that the levels of fluids inside your body will have dropped significantly as your body diverts fluids and nutrients in an attempt to repair your pancreas. The drop in fluid levels can lead to a reduction in the volume of blood in your body, which is known as hypovolemic shock.
Hypovolemic shock can be life-threatening because your body can become quickly starved of the oxygen-rich blood that it needs to survive. To avoid going into hypovolemic shock, fluids will be pumped directly into your body through a tube that will be connected to one of your veins. These fluids are known as intravenous fluids or IV.
Oxygen will be supplied through tubes attached to your nose and ventilation equipment may be used to assist with your breathing. Feeding tubes may be used to provide your body with nutrients. Painkillers can help to relieve the symptoms of pain.
Treating the underlying cause
As with mild acute pancreatitis, if you have severe acute pancreatitis it will be necessary to treat the underlying cause.
If the cause is gallstones, it is likely that an ERCP procedure or removal of your gallbladder will be recommended. For more information about ERCP, see Acute pancreatitis - diagnosis. If the cause is alcohol use, stopping drinking and receiving treatment for alcohol dependency will be recommended (as discussed above).
Though, as mentioned above, even if the underlying cause has nothing to do with alcohol you should avoid drinking alcohol for at least six months as this can cause further damage to the pancreas during the recovery process.
