Medical and Endoscopic Treatment of Acute Pancreatitis.

Accurate diagnosis of acute pancreatitis and assessment of disease severity is crucial. Multiorgan failure predicts a poorer prognosis. Treatment of acute biliary pancreatitis by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) may improve overall prognosis. Referral of seriously ill or unstable patients to a specialized center is recommended. Managing teams must be vigilant regarding the avoidance of iatrogenic complications, such as endoscopic misadventure or inadvertent line sepsis. Large, multicenter endoscopic outcome trials for prevention of ERCP-related pancreatitis, and to determine efficacy of treatment of acute gallstone pancreatitis, are needed.