Managing Acute Pancreatitis

The American College of Gastroenterology published new guidelines for this condition.

Sponsoring Organization: American College of Gastroenterology (ACG)

Background

Early management of acute pancreatitis (AP) is critical to prevent complications that occur in as many as 20% of hospitalized patients with AP. Experts from the ACG completed a systematic review of the literature and developed the following guidelines for managing AP.

Key Recommendations

All recommendations are conditional with very low or low quality of evidence unless otherwise stated.

All patients with AP should undergo transabdominal ultrasound for evaluation of biliary pancreatitis. When the cause of AP is unclear after initial laboratory testing and imaging, patients eventually should undergo additional diagnostic evaluation, which might include repeat ultrasoun…

Reviewing Author

Andrew S. Parsons, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardNEJM Healer Advisory Group; Aquifer Clinical Excellence; NBME Clinical Reasoning

Grant/Research SupportSouthern Group on Educational Affairs (SGEA)

Editorial BoardsDiagnosis

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesUndergraduate Medical Education (UME) Section Chair, Southern Group on Educational Affairs (SGEA); Chair of Early Career Physicians, American College of Physicians (ACP), Virginia Chapter