Acute Pancreatitis Update of the Current Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approach

The pancreas is an abdominal organ with numerous functions, secreting digestive enzymes and vital hormones.(1) The endocrine pancreas produces digestive enzymes like lipases, proteases, and amylases, responsible for the metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates for absorption.(1) Acute pancreatitis is an intracellular calcium disorder in pancreatic cells, which can trigger necroinflammatory changes and local and systemic complications.(4). EPIDEMIOLOGYAcute pancreatitis is a highly prevalent condition, ranking as the 21st leading cause of hospitalization in the United States and the most common reason for gastrointestinal-related hospital admissions (4).With an incidence of 20-80 cases per 100,000 individuals (3), the economic burden is substantial, with approximately $2.6 billion spent in the United States, underscoring the significance of this pathology (1).The mortality rate for mild cases ranges from 1% to 35% for severe cases (4). PATHOPHYSIOLOGYAcute pancreatitis's pathophysiology comprises four phases (4): Intracellular Phase: Dysregulated intracellular calcium due to toxic factors and cellular stress leads to endoplasmic reticulum injury, abnormal calcium clearance, mitochondrial dysfunction, and mitochondrial permeability transition pore