Preface

This book is written for all those involved in the care of patients with acute pancreatitis. Each of you know how challenging this disease can be. Characterized by a wide spectrum of severity; from a self-limiting disease that does not always result in hospital admission through to being rapidly fatal from fulminant multiple organ failure in the intensive care unit. You also know that a specifc and effective drug treatment is not available. Despite that we have made progress. The overall mortality of acute pancreatitis has been dropping through many incremental evidence-based advances. Together these have had a positive impact on the clinical outcome of patients with acute pancreatitis. However, major challenges remain and disruptive thinking based on new paradigms are necessary if we are to subdue this common and serious disease...