CLINICAL RELEVANCE
- Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common gastrointestinal disease that may result in multiple organ failure and death1
– Gallstones & alcohol are the most common causes of AP1
– Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) causes 1-4% of cases, and should be suspected if triglycerides (TG) are > 1,000 mg/dL in the absence of gallstones or history of significant alcohol use1
– Clinical management of hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis (HTGP) is based primarily on anecdotal evidence and case reports
- Concurrent diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and AP have been described in the literature
– DKA may be a risk factor for AP, but it is uncertain if AP triggers DKA or vice-versa2
– The optimal management of patients that present with AP, HTG, and DKA is unknown2,3