Pancreas has close proximity to the stomach, duodenum, and the common bile duct, predisposing these structures to external compression by different pancreatic disorders.

The most common causes of acute pancreatitis are alcohol and gallstones (80%).

Idiopathic pancreatitis is seen in 10% of cases.

The diagnosis of pancreatitis requires two out of the three features: abdominal pain characteristic of acute pancreatitis, serum amylase and/or lipase ≥3 times upper limit of normal, characteristic findings on CT scan.

Prognosis in acute pancreatitis depends on the severity of the disease.

Predicting severity of acute pancreatitis is important because early recognition of severe disease will enable the clinician to consider more aggressive interventions.

BISAP is a relatively new index of severity that can be of use in stratifying patients with acute pancreatitis (BUN, Impaired mental status, SIRS, Age, Pleural effusion).

Cornerstones of treatment for acute pancreatitis are fluid resuscitation and pain control.