Today, acute pancreatitis remains one of the three leading reasons for hospitalization of patients in emergency departments. Despite the fact that the material and technical base of medical institutions is improving every year, it is not always possible to timely and adequately assess the severity of the condition of patients with acute pancreatitis. Underestimation of the severity of the condition can end up sadly for the patient, therefore, patients with severe acute pancreatitis should be identified in the early stages of the disease. To predict the severe course of acute pancreatitis in the early stages of the disease, it is necessary to take into account such risk factors as age, concomitant diseases, body mass index, as well as clinical and laboratory markers of severity: hematocrit, neutrophil-lymphocyte coefficient, distribution of erythrocytes by volume, glucose, urea and data from integral scales. Markers such as respiratory failure and oliguria diagnosed upon admission, as well as the level of lactate dehydrogenase, bicarbonates and acid-base balance of the blood, can also be considered prognostically significant markers of severe course. Early identification of patients with an increased risk of complications and their timely adequate therapy can improve treatment outcomes and reduce mortality rates.