[Care for patients with acute pancreatitis in special care wards]

A study is made of 22 medical histories of patients discharged from the Intensive and Intermediate Therapy Services of "Manuel Ascunce Domenech" Provincial Teaching Hospital with a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis in the year 1987. An analysis of these records demonstrates, among other significant aspects, that disease is more frequent among 50 and 69 years of age, with prevalence of males; the most frequent symptoms are abdominal pain and vomiting and the most frequent complication is acute kidney failure. This study demonstrates that after wards providing special care were made available, mortality rates have dropped as compared with other series reviewed in previous years. It becomes apparent that the Nursing personnel plays a significant role in caring for these patients.