Symptoms and Tests
Of course, trying to stop recurrent attacks is the top goal of treatment. Beyond the formation of gallstones, medical professionals believe acute pancreatitis can develop as a reaction to certain medicines, high triglyceride levels and/or high calcium levels in the bloodstream, and particularly from heavy alcohol consumption. Chronic alcoholics can die if they keep drinking after experiencing an attack.
Victims of acute pancreatitis typically arrive at emergency rooms with a very swollen abdomen and have a high fever, sometimes accompanied by a rapid pulse. They may have already vomited or are extremely nauseous.
Beyond administering fluids and trying to curb the pain, doctors may request a blood test for amylase or lipase digestive enzymes. These are usually highly elevated during a pancreatitis attack, sometimes tripling the normal levels in the bloodstream. In some cases, doctors may request a computer tomography of the abdominal area to rule out other causes of the distress.
Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the patient will be tested for gallbladder stones using a transabdominal ultrasound. As the name indicates, sound waves are reflected off the pancreas, liver, gallbladder and other organs to create a sonogram image. The gallbladder stone locations are then pinpointed by the video image created.
In certain cases, doctors may also request an endoscopic ultrasound. This requires a thin, flexible tube to be passed into the stomach. A small camera and ultrasound probe are then used to take images of the pancreas, gallbladder and liver areas. The imaging can pick up on stones that may have been too small to show up on the external ultrasound or were hidden in a corner of the bile ducts. The test is also used to take a look at the pancreas and determine whether any abnormalities can be discovered.