Clinical Features of Acute Inflammation of the Pancreas

Abstract

This report is based on a study of 78 patients admitted to the Graduate Hospital with the diagnosis of primary acute pancreatitis or recurrent acute pancreatitis. Since several patients were admitted more than one time, there are a total of 94 separate admissions between 1941 and 1954. Unfortunately, not all patients with this diagnosis during these years could be used, because of inadequate objective data in some of the charts of patients seen in the earlier years. The incidence of acute pancreatitis has been increasing progressively in recent years, with 50% of the patients herein reported being admitted during the years 1952-1954. In part, this may be the result of a greater awareness of the disease and the more frequent employment of the serum pancreatic enzyme determinations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cumulative clinical experience with acute pancreatitis. Consideration has been given to a critical appraisal