Which of the following represents a typical set of signs and symptoms of pancreatitis?

Which of the following represents a typical set of signs and symptoms of pancreatitis?

• A. Jaundice only.
• B. Weight gain and ankle edema.
• C. Headache and dizziness.
• D. Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever.

Answer: (D)

Pancreatitis typically causes a sudden, severe abdominal pain that is often felt in the upper abdomen and may radiate to the back, along with nausea and vomiting; fever can accompany the inflammatory process. This combination—abdominal pain with nausea, vomiting, and fever—captures the classic GI symptom cluster of pancreatitis. Jaundice can occur if bile flow is blocked, but it isn’t universal; weight gain and ankle edema, or headache and dizziness, aren’t characteristic presentations of pancreatitis. Thus, the set that includes abdominal pain plus nausea, vomiting, and fever best reflects the usual signs and symptoms.

Pancreatitis typically causes a sudden, severe abdominal pain that is often felt in the upper abdomen and may radiate to the back, along with nausea and vomiting; fever can accompany the inflammatory process. This combination—abdominal pain with nausea, vomiting, and fever—captures the classic GI symptom cluster of pancreatitis. Jaundice can occur if bile flow is blocked, but it isn’t universal; weight gain and ankle edema, or headache and dizziness, aren’t characteristic presentations of pancreatitis. Thus, the set that includes abdominal pain plus nausea, vomiting, and fever best reflects the usual signs and symptoms.