What is Acute Pancreatitis?

Acute pancreatitis is the sudden inflammation of the pancreas that typically subsides. Unlike chronic pancreatitis, inflammation subsides and is not recurrent. An individual may suffer one episode of acute pancreatitis in their life and never have inflammation return. Stones in the gallbladder are a leading cause of acute pancreatitis. Over 300,000 patients annually go to the hospital for treatment of acute pancreatitis. Roughly 17-25% of acute pancreatitis patients experience additional episodes within the first years after diagnosis. Pain during an episode is severe and may last for several days without treatment. Acute pancreatitis was the most common principal gastrointestinal diagnosis for hospital admissions in the U.S., costing over $2.6 billion in inpatient costs in 2007 alone.