Acute Pancreatitis

What Causes Acute Pancreatitis?

• More common causes – infections, a blockage in the pancreas, some medicines, and belly (abdominal) injury
• Less common causes – genetic causes and metabolic disorders
• Sometimes the cause is not known.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Acute Pancreatitis?

• Stomach pain
• Irritability
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and throwing up (vomiting)
• Pain, discomfort, or unusual fullness after eating
• Fever of or over 102° Fahrenheit (F) or 38.9° Celsius (C)

How Is Acute Pancreatitis Diagnosed?

To diagnose pancreatitis, your child’s doctor or health care provider will:

• Go over their medical history.
• Do a physical exam.
• Order blood work and/or imaging tests. Your child may be referred to a gastrointestinal (GI) or pancreas specialist.

How Is Acute Pancreatitis Treated?

Depending on your child’s symptoms, their pancreatitis may be managed at home or treated at the hospital.

• If your child can eat, drink, and take medicine by mouth (oral), they may be cared for at home. Their doctor or health care provider will tell you when to follow up.
• Your child may need to be treated at the hospital if they cannot eat, drink, or take medicine orally. At the hospital, they may:
  • Get intravenous (IV) fluids for hydration. An IV is a small, flexible tube placed into a vein.
  • Get oral or IV pain medicine.
  • Have tube feedings if they can’t eat by mouth.
  • See the pancreas team.
  • Need imaging scans.

When Should My Child See a Doctor?

Call your child’s doctor or health care provider if they:

• Will not drink anything for 24 hours.
• Refuse to eat anything for more than 3 days.
• Have a fever of 102°F (38.9°C) or higher.
• Have pain that cannot be controlled with medicine.
• Have behavior changes, like being very tired or hard to wake up.

Additional Resources

See these helpful resources below:

• GI Kids (NASPGHAN)
• National Pancreas Foundation
• Animated Pancreas Patient^TM

Helping Hands Patient Education Materials

Written and illustrated by medical, nursing and allied health professionals at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Helping Hand instructions are intended as a supplement to verbal instructions provided by a medical professional. The information is periodically reviewed and revised to reflect our current practice. However, Nationwide Children's Hospital is not responsible for any consequences resulting from the use or misuse of the information in the Helping Hands.

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