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Pancreatitis Clinical Pathway, Emergency Department and Inpatient – Types

Pancreatitis Clinical Pathway — Emergency Department and Inpatient

Definition of Pancreatitis Types

  Characteristics Most Common Etiologies Additional Considerations
Acute Pancreatitis
  • Abdominal pain that may radiate to
    the back
  • Lipase elevated > 3x upper limit
    of normal
  • Imaging consistent with pancreatitis
  • Idiopathic
  • Viral/infectious
  • Gallstones
  • Medications
    • Valproic acid
    • Tetracyclines, metronidazole
    • NSAIDs
    • Steroids
    • 6-mercaptopurine, methotrexate,
      PEG-asparaginase
    • Furosemide
    • Doxycycline
  • HUS
  • Trauma
  • IBD
  • Duodenal hematoma
  • Inflammatory disorders
  • Autoimmune disorders
  • Toxin exposure
  • Medication/drug exposures and
    side effects
  • Hepatobiliary diseases
  • Anatomical abnormalities
Acute Recurrent Pancreatitis
  • Bouts of pancreatitis with complete resolution of symptoms and laboratory, imaging finding improvements in between bouts, with > 1 mo interval between bouts
  • May have lipase elevations
  • Imaging findings with prior evidence of pancreatitis like fibrosis, calcifications
  • Hereditary
    • CFTR, SPINK1, PRSS1, CASR, CPA1, CTRC
  • Anatomical
    • Gallstones
    • Choledochal cysts
    • Pancreas divisum
    • Cholelithiasis
    • Cholecystitis
  • Metabolic
    • Hypertriglyceridemia
    • Hypercalcemia
    • DKA, MMA, propionic acidemia
May see transient or permanent
loss of exocrine/digestive
pancreatic function
Chronic Pancreatitis
  • Chronic abdominal pain
  • Possible symptoms of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
  • Imaging findings c/w chronicity
  • Transplant/GVHD/BMT
  • Hereditary, Metabolic
    • See above
  • Anatomical
    • See above
    • Pancreatic duct strictures
Likely permanent loss of exocrine/digestive pancreatic function

Reference

Classification of Acute Pancreatitis in the Pediatric Population: Clinical Report From the NASPGHAN Pancreas Committee (2017)  

 

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