Acute pancreatitis in general practice

During an eight-year period, 13 patients suffering from acute pancreatitis were seen in a three-doctor rural practice. The incidence was greater than most published hospital series would suggest. With one unusual exception, all the cases were mild, in that there were no complications or fatalities. In some of the patients the clinical features were such that the diagnosis might have been overlooked. Eight of the patients were managed at home. There was a strong association with biliary tract disease.