Pancreatitis and pancreatic insufficiency Stefan Kahl, Peter Malfertheiner

Acute pancreatitis is an acute painful abdominal disease of sudden onset that ranges from a mild and self-limited illness to a severe progressive life-threatening condition. The ratio of mild to severe acute pancreatitis is approximately five to one. Patients with severe acute pancreatitis develop systemic complications resulting from either the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) or to sepsis, which may lead to multi-organ failure (MOF).