Acute pancreatitis

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Acute pancreatitis

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USMLE® Step 1 style questions USMLE

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A 44-year-old man comes to the emergency department with abdominal pain and nausea for the past 24 hours. The pain started a few hours after dinner, and he describes it as a constant pain in the upper part of his abdomen that radiates to his back and flanks. The patient also reports nausea, intermittent vomiting, and abdominal distention. Family history is significant for recurrent episodes of pancreatitis in his father and paternal uncle. He reports drinking an average of 2 alcoholic drinks per week. His temperature is 37.7ºC (99.9ºF), pulse is 92/min, respirations are 20/min, peripheral oxygen saturation is 96%, and blood pressure is 149/94 mmHg. He appears distressed and anxious. Abdominal examination shows tenderness and rigidity over the epigastric and periumbilical regions. Bowel sounds are diminished. No bruising of the umbilicus or flanks are seen. Which of the following laboratory results is the most specific in diagnosing this patient’s condition?  

External References

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Acute pancreatitis p. 404

associations p. 733

DIC and p. 733

hyperparathyroidism p. 342

necrosis and p. 205

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) p. NaN

acute pancreatitis p. 404

Cholelithiasis p. 403

acute pancreatitis p. 403

Hemorrhage

acute pancreatitis p. 404

Hypercalcemia p. 609

acute pancreatitis and p. 404

Hypertriglyceridemia p. 92

acute pancreatitis and p. 404

Hypocalcemia p. 335, 609

acute pancreatitis and p. 404

Mumps p. 167

acute pancreatitis with p. 404

Necrosis p. 205

acute pancreatitis p. 404

Organ failure, in acute pancreatitis p. 404

Protease inhibitors

acute pancreatitis p. 404

Steroids

acute pancreatitis p. 404

Sulfa drugs p. 251

acute pancreatitis p. 404

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Acute pancreatitis is the sudden inflammation and hemorrhaging of the pancreas due to destruction by its own digestive enzymes—a process fittingly called autodigestion.

Most of the time the disease is actually relatively mild, but it can easily become severe, so it's critical to diagnose and treat it quickly.

The pancreas is a long, skinny gland the length of a dollar bill and is located in the upper abdomen, or the epigastric region, behind the stomach.

It plays endocrine roles—for example, alpha and beta cells make hormones like insulin and glucagon that are secreted into the bloodstream, but it also plays exocrine roles— for example, acinar cells make digestive enzymes that are secreted into the duodenum to help digest food.

These pancreatic digestive enzymes break down macromolecules like carbohydrates, lipids and proteins found in food, but these macromolecules are also found in the cells of the pancreas.

To protect the pancreas, the acinar cells manufacture inactive forms of the enzymes called proenzymes, or zymogens.

These zymogens are normally activated by proteases which cleave off a polypeptide chain, which is kind of like pulling the pin on a grenade.

For additional security, the zymogens are kept away from sensitive tissues in storage vesicles called zymogen granules, and are packaged with protease inhibitors that prevent enzymes from doing damage if they become prematurely active.

To digest a meal, these zymogens are released into the pancreatic duct, and delivered to the small intestine where they are activated by the protease trypsin.

Trypsin is a pancreatic digestive enzyme that is produced as the zymogen trypsinogen.

Normally, trypsinogen isn’t activated until it is cleaved by protease enteropeptidase which is found in the duodenum. But if trypsinogen and these zymogens become activated too early, then it can cause acute pancreatitis, and this might happen as a result of any injury to the acinar cells, or anything that prevents the normal secretion of the proenzymes into the duodenum.

The two leading causes of acute pancreatitis are alcohol abuse and gallstones.

With alcohol abuse it goes like this: alcohol increases zymogen secretion from acinar cells while decreasing fluid and bicarbonate production from the ductal epithelial cells. As a result, the pancreatic juices become really thick and viscous, potentially forming a plug that can block the duct.

Sources

  1. "Robbins Basic Pathology" Saunders (2007)
  2. "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, Twentieth Edition (Vol.1 & Vol.2)" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2018)
  3. "Acute Pancreatitis" The American Journal of Nursing (1935)
  4. "Practice Guidelines in Acute Pancreatitis" The American Journal of Gastroenterology (2006)
  5. "Pathophysiology of Disease: An Introduction to Clinical Medicine 8E" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2018)
  6. "CURRENT Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 2020" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2019)
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