digestive disorders
Acute Pancreatitis
Prognosis for Acute Pancreatitis
In acute pancreatitis, a CT scan helps determine the outlook or prognosis. If the scan indicates that the pancreas is only mildly swollen, the prognosis is excellent. If the scan shows large areas of destroyed pancreas, the prognosis is usually poor. A number of scoring systems help doctors predict the severity of acute pancreatitis, which can help them better manage the person. These scoring systems may include information such as age, medical history, physical examination findings, laboratory tests, and CT scan results. When acute pancreatitis is mild, the death rate is about 5% or less. However, in pancreatitis with severe damage, or when the inflammation is not confined to the pancreas, the death rate can be much higher. Death during the first several days of acute pancreatitis is usually caused by failure of the heart, lungs, or kidneys. Death after the first week is usually caused by pancreatic infection or by a pseudocyst that bleeds or ruptures. 