No abstract

This classification is the result of a consultative process amongst pancreatologists from 49 countries spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. It provides a set of concise up-to-date definitions of all the main entities pertinent to classifying the severity of acute pancreatitis in clinical practice and research. This ensures that the determinant-based classification can be used in a uniform manner throughout the world.

Patients with AP often develop prediabetes and/or DM after discharge from hospital, and have a greater than twofold increased risk of DM over 5 years. Further studies are warranted to determine the optimal strategy for its detection and whether the risk of developing DM after AP can be reduced.

The performance of the currently available serological markers is suboptimal for routine clinical use, but novel markers of intestinal ischemia such as D-lactate, GST, and i-FABP may offer improved diagnostic accuracy. The early diagnosis of intestinal ischemia remains a challenge, and further research is required to identify improved serological markers and to demonstrate their clinical utility in the individual patient.