Hospital

Infection complicating pancreatic necrosis leads to persisting sepsis, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and accounts for about half the deaths that occur following acute pancreatitis. Severe cases due to gallstones require urgent endoscopic sphincterotomy. Patients with pancreatic necrosis should be followed with serial contrast enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT) and if infection is suspected fine needle aspiration of the necrotic area for bacteriology (FNAB) should be undertaken. Treatment of sterile necrosis should initially be non-operative. In the presence of infection necrosectomy is indicated. Although traditionally this has been by open surgery, minimally invasive procedures are a promising new alternative. There are many unresolve