[Pancreatitis: conservative therapy]

The treatment of acute pancreatitis is primary conservative independent of the degree of severeness. The aim of our multimodal concept of therapy (stomach tube, catheterisation of urinary bladder, closed peritoneal dialysis, analgetics--peridural catheter-, substitution of volume-electrolytes, colloides, protein, plasma, blood-, antibiotics, heparin H2-receptor blocker, early artificial respiration, insulin, parenteral nutrition-glucose, amino acids, fat-, hemofiltration/-dialysis, percutaneous drainage of liquid formations) is to postpone or to avoid an operation. Only the erosion bleeding or a locally conditioned sepsis ask for an emergency operation. The lethality of the degrees II (n = 30) and III (n = 39) could be decreased to 20.3% in the last 7 years. The follow-up of 55 patients with severe pancreatitis was free of clinical symptoms in 80% with normal exocrine and endocrine function of pancreas. This confirms that the organ itself is mostly intact even in severe cases of pancreatitis, in hemorrhagic-necrotic pancreatitis.