What is the connection between acute pancreatitis and gastrointestinal disorders?

Acute pancreatitis is a leading cause of hospitalization for gastrointestinal disorder’s. Because of substantially high mortality of up to 20–30 % in severe cases, early identification of patients who might require transfer to an intensive care unit is essential. Acute pancreatitis has an incidence of approximately 13–45 per 100,000 and is a a common cause of urgent admission to hospital. Classified by the Atlanta criteria approximately 75% of the patients have mild disease with a mortality rate below 1%. Mortality increases up to 20% if the disease progresses to its severe necrotizing form and in the most severe cases mortality can rise to 30–40% Meier, Nurse’s practicing in today’s rapidly changing health and care environment are continually becoming more aware of the need to evaluate and improve practice. This is why research is so important. Evidence-based practice has become a ‘Gold Standard’ and a core competency for all healthcare professionals in the healthcare setting. The pancreas is an organ in the abdomen that secretes numerous digestive enzymes, substances that enable and speed up chemical reactions in the body, into the pancreatic ductal system before it empties into the small bowel. It also contains the Islets of Langerhans, which secrete several hormones including insulin, which helps regulate the bodies blood sugar. Acute pancreatitis is a life-threatening illness characterised by sudden inflammation of the pancreas, which can lead to failure of other organs, such as the lungs and kidneys. There has been a lot of research into the different medical treatments for acute pancreatitis, but it is not clear what benefit each treatment has, or if any medical treatment is beneficial at all, except from   supportive treatment.