Pancreatitis articles from across Nature Portfolio

Recent randomized controlled trials in acute pancreatitis have provided evidence that challenges current approaches to management, including fluid resuscitation, antibiotic administration, management of infected necrosis and use of early endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. The evidence means that we need to reassess the current management guidelines.

New data suggest that moderate fluid resuscitation is safer in acute pancreatitis than the standard aggressive fluid resuscitation. The findings suggest that an approach that includes safety and goal-directed checkpoints could enable treatment to be individualized and highlight the importance of clinical evidence in challenging dogma and improving evidence-based medicine.

Case reports and retrospective cohort studies have reported an association between acute pancreatitis and COVID-19. As SARS-CoV-2 (the causative agent of COVID-19) receptors are expressed in the pancreas and endothelial damage can occur, this association is plausible. However, this hypothesis has many biases and needs further investigation.