Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, which is most often caused by alcohol abuse or gallstones. It can be either acute (short term) or chronic (long term).

The pancreas is a long, flat organ located behind the stomach between the upper part of the small intestine (duodenum) and the spleen. It plays a key role in the digestive system. The pancreas has two primary functions:

• Secreting digestive enzymes into the small intestine through a tube called the pancreatic duct. These enzymes help the body digest fats, proteins and carbohydrates in food.
  
  
• Secreting the hormones insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream. The hormones help the body use glucose (sugar) found in food for energy.

Under normal circumstances, digestive enzymes do not begin working until they reach the small intestine. In patients with pancreatitis, however, the enzymes begin working in the pancreas and cause damage. One of the digestive enzymes, called trypsin, can cause tissue damage and bleeding. It can also cause swelling in the blood cells and blood vessels found inside the pancreas.

Pancreatitis can lead to a number of serious complications. They include:

• Infection. When the pancreas is damaged, it sometimes becomes infected with bacteria from the small intestine. Pancreatic infections can be fatal if not treated properly.
  
  
• Pseudocysts. Abnormal collections of fluid, dead tissue, enzymes and blood that can lead to a painful mass in the pancreas or an obstructed pancreatic duct.
  
  
• Abscess. Collection of pus that develops in or around the pancreas. Treatment involves drainage by catheter or surgery.
  
  
• Respiratory failure. Chemical changes that occur as a result of pancreatitis can impact lung function. This can result in hypoxia, a condition in which the level of oxygen in the blood becomes dangerously low.
  
  
• Kidney failure. Acute cases of pancreatitis can result in kidney failure.
  
  
• Shock. Potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when blood pressure is abnormally low and organs cannot function properly.

When pancreatitis occurs over a long period of time, it can lead to additional complications. These include:

• Bleeding. Persistent inflammation and damage to the blood vessels near the pancreas can cause bleeding.
  
  
• Malnutrition or weight loss. In severe cases, the pancreas stops producing digestive enzymes (exocrine failure). It may also lose its ability to produce insulin (endocrine failure). This causes malabsorption (poor absorption of nutrients by the small intestine) of food.
  
  
• Diabetes. Damage to the pancreas can impact insulin production and result in diabetes, a disease in which the body cannot produce enough insulin or does not use insulin properly.
  
  
• Pancreatic cancer. Chronic inflammation of the pancreas increases a patient’s risk of developing pancreatic cancer.