Acute pancreatitis is a serious condition where the pancreas becomes inflamed over a short period of time. The pancreas is a small organ located behind the stomach and below the ribcage.

Most people with acute pancreatitis improve within a week and experience no further problems, but severe cases can have serious complications and can even be fatal.

Acute pancreatitis is different to chronic pancreatitis, where the inflammation of the pancreas persists for many years.

The most common symptoms of acute pancreatitis include:

• suddenly getting severe pain in the centre of your abdomen (tummy)
• feeling or being sick
• diarrhoea

Read more about the symptoms of acute pancreatitis and diagnosing acute pancreatitis.

When to seek medical help

Contact your GP immediately if you suddenly develop severe abdominal pain.

Why it happens

It’s thought that acute pancreatitis occurs when a problem develops with some of the enzymes (chemicals) in the pancreas, which causes them to try to digest the organ.

Acute pancreatitis is most often linked to:

• gallstones – which accounts for around half of all cases
• alcohol consumption – which accounts for about a quarter of all cases

By reducing your alcohol intake and altering your diet to make gallstones less likely, you can help to reduce your chances of developing acute pancreatitis.

Read more about the causes of acute pancreatitis and preventing acute pancreatitis.

Who is affected?

Acute pancreatitis is more common in middle-aged and elderly people, but it can affect people of any age.

Men are more likely to develop alcohol-related pancreatitis, while women are more likely to develop it as a result of gallstones.

In England, more than 25,000 people were admitted to hospital with acute pancreatitis between 2013 and 2014. 

How it’s treated

Treatment for acute pancreatitis focuses on supporting the functions of the body until the inflammation has passed.

This usually involves admission to hospital so you can be given fluids into a vein (intravenous fluids), as well as pain relief, nutritional support and oxygen through tubes into your nose.

Most people with acute pancreatitis improve within a week and are well enough to leave hospital after 5-10 days.

However, recovery takes longer in severe cases, as complications that require additional treatment may develop.

Read more about treating acute pancreatitis.

Complications

About 4 out of 5 cases of acute pancreatitis improve quickly and don’t cause any serious further problems. However, 1 in 5 cases are severe and can result in life-threatening complications, such as multiple organ failure.

In severe cases where complications develop, there’s a high risk of the condition being fatal. In England, just over 1,000 people die from acute pancreatitis every year.

If a person survives the effects of severe acute pancreatitis, it’s likely to be several weeks or months before they’re well enough to leave hospital.