Acute Pancreatitis: Tests

An irritation of the that can cause it to stop working. It is most often caused by gallstones or alcohol abuse.

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About Acute Pancreatitis Tests

While asking about a person’s medical history and conducting a thorough physical examination, the doctor will order a to assist in the diagnosis. During , the blood contains at least three times the normal amount of and , digestive formed in the . Changes may also occur in other body chemicals such as , , magnesium, sodium, , and bicarbonate. After the person’s condition improves, the levels usually return to normal.

Diagnosing is often difficult because of the deep location of the . The doctor will likely order one or more of the following tests:

. Sound waves are sent toward the through a handheld device that a technician glides over the . The sound waves bounce off the , , , and other , and their echoes make electrical impulses that create a picture – called a sonogram – on a video monitor. If gallstones are causing , the sound waves will also bounce off them, showing their location. Computerized tomography (CT) scan. The CT scan is a x ray that produces three-dimensional pictures of parts of the body. The person lies on a table that slides into a donut-shaped machine. The test may show gallstones and the extent of damage to the . Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). After spraying a solution to numb the patient’s , the doctor inserts an endoscope—a thin, flexible, lighted tube—down the , through the , and into the . The doctor turns on an ultrasound attachment to the scope that produces sound waves to create visual images of the and . Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). MRCP uses magnetic resonance imaging, a noninvasive test that produces cross-section images of parts of the body. After being lightly sedated, the patient lies in a cylinder-like tube for the test. The technician injects dye into the patient’s veins that helps show the pancreas, gallbladder, and pancreatic and bile ducts.