Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Insufficiency

The pancreas is a small organ, located behind the stomach, that plays an important role in the digestion and absorption of food and nutrients by secreting digestive enzymes that help to break down food.¹It also secretes hormones that regulate how energy is stored and used by the body.

Both pancreatitis and pancreatic insufficiency frequently result in undernutrition due to a reduced dietary intake, poor digestion and low absorption of nutrients from food, and may require nutritional support.²

Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas. It can be acute (beginning suddenly and lasting a few days), or chronic (occurring over many years).¹ Acute pancreatitis is characterised by severe, persistent pain across the upper abdomen, often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. It is a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention.¹ Sufferers of chronic pancreatitis rarely need nutritional support when it is mild to moderate. However, just like acute pancreatitis, severe chronic pancreatitis requires rapid medical attention and treatment.¹

Pancreatic insufficiency results from an inability to properly digest food due to a lack of digestive enzymes made by the pancreas, resulting in malabsorption of nutrients. This can cause malnutrition.³

Nutritional management of conditions affecting the pancreas involves preventing further nutritional depletion by improving food intake and the absorption of nutrients from food.

Oral nutritional supplements (ONS) can provide the nutrients patients need to help manage the condition or support recovery, and should be prescribed if oral nutrition is insufficient.₂ ONS may be particularly useful in chronic pancreatitis, as these patients are frequently malnourished because of the disease process and poor dietary habits.

For people with pancreatic conditions, the following feeds may be suitable:

Vital 1.5kcal

Vital 1.5kcal is suitable for people with disease-related malnutrition and malabsorption or for those who experience symptoms of poor feed tolerance. Vital 1.5kcal is a peptide-based* feed that is available both as a 200ml oral nutritional supplement, and as a 1000ml Ready to Hang tube feed, both of which attach directly to Abbott giving sets.

Perative

Perative is a 1.3kcal/ml, peptide-based* tube feed for the dietary management of people with malabsorption or who experience symptoms of poor feed tolerance. Perative is available in 500ml and 1000ml Ready to Hang bottles, which attach directly to Abbott giving sets.

*Peptides are partially broken down proteins, which makes them easier to digest and absorb in the gut than whole proteins.

PaediaSure Peptide

PaediaSure Peptide is suitable for the dietary management of children weighing 8-30kg with malabsorption or children who experience symptoms of poor feed tolerance. PaediaSure Peptide is a 1.0kcal/ml peptide-based* feed that is available both as a 500ml Ready to Hang tube feed and as a 200ml oral nutritional supplement.

*Peptides are partially broken down proteins, which makes them easier to digest and absorb in the gut than whole proteins.

To find out more about any particular product in our wide range of adult, older children and paediatric feeds, please click here.