What Is Pancreatitis?
9. Prognosis
In acute pancreatitis, the mortality is thought to be 10% to 15%. However, pancreatitis caused by biliary tract disease tends to have a higher mortality compared to alcoholic pancreatitis. In about 20% of cases, patients present with more severe disease with a higher mortality rate of about 30%.
During the first week of illness, when deaths occur, it is usually due to multiorgan system failure. After the first week, infection also becomes a significant issue. Other issues that increase the mortality rate are acute renal failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, hemorrhage, cardiac depression, and hypotensive shock. It is important for doctors to identify patients in the greatest need of medical treatment. In chronic pancreatitis, the overall survival rate is estimated to be 70% at 10 years and 45% at 20 years.
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