In acute pancreatic necrosis, the general condition of the diseased is estimated as severe from the first minutes of the disease. Often the picture develops that is characteristic of shock, the complexion changes to gray, cyanosis appears, the breathing becomes superficial, the pulse quickens and weak, the temperature rises slightly.
Pancreatic necrosis can occur gradually, developing days and weeks from the acute serous form of pancreatitis, gaining strength and turning into pancreatic necrosis. Negligence in relation to one's health and unwillingness to be treated in the acute form of pancreatic necrosis, most often leads to a fatal outcome within the next 2-4 days. Although in medical practice recorded cases of rapid development of this ailment of pancreatitis, which led to the death of the patient in a few hours.
There are rare cases when the rapidly developing acute form of necrotizing pancreatitis stops its development, leaving for remission, but this improvement is deceptive and will lead to a more serious and dangerous relapse in the next few days if the patient does not take treatment. In the acute form of pancreatic necrosis, a paradox often occurs that despite the severe general condition of the patient and unbearable pain sensations, the results of a physical examination of the abdominal cavity show only small changes.
When examining a patient with acute pancreatitis, one can notice a slight and unstable abdominal distention, mostly of limited character, with localization in the upper third of the abdomen. Peristalsis is not seen with the eye, with palpation usually the abdomen is soft and protective muscle tension is not detected, but there may be a small resistance of the abdominal wall in the area of the epigastrium. During examination of a patient with acute pancreatic necrosis, the subject has very strong painful sensations to the left of the median line, to the left of the navel, in the left hypochondrium, at the left costal-vertebral angle, below the gallbladder, and at the left costal arch from behind.
In blood and urine of a patient with acute pancreatitis, after 4 hours from the onset of the disease, a greatly increased content of diastase is observed. With normal activity of diastase in urine from 16 to 64 units, with pancreonecrosis of this form, this figure reaches 6.000 units, and in some cases up to 32.000.
The cause of the acute form of pancreatic necrosis and pancreatitis, from which it develops are: the abuse of alcohol, fatty foods, cholelithiasis, which caused reflux of enzymes from the gland into the pancreatic ducts and any damage to the acinus. And only 10-15% of patients can not find out the cause of acute necrosis of the pancreas with confidence.