US Medical Term · conditions
Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis
What it means
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach and close to the first part of the small intestine. It happens when digestive enzymes start digesting the pancreas itself. Pancreatitis can be acute or chronic, and either form is serious and can lead to complications. Acute pancreatitis occurs suddenly, is often caused by gallstones, and usually goes away in a few days with treatment; its common symptoms are severe pain in the upper abdomen, nausea, and vomiting. Chronic pancreatitis does not heal or improve: it gets worse over time and leads to permanent damage, and its most common cause is heavy alcohol use. Its symptoms include nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and oily stools. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) says people with acute pancreatitis usually look and feel seriously ill and need to see a doctor right away, and it says to seek care right away for symptoms of severe pancreatitis, among them pain or tenderness in the abdomen that is severe or becomes worse, nausea and vomiting, fever or chills, a fast heartbeat, shortness of breath, and a yellowish color of the skin or whites of the eyes.
Pancreatitis in Spanish
- Spanish term
- Pancreatitis
- Gender and article
- feminine: la pancreatitis
- Pronunciation
- pahn-kreh-ah-TEE-tees
| Other Spanish terms | Where it is used | Note |
|---|---|---|
| inflamación del páncreas | General | MedlinePlus en español lists it under 'Otros nombres' on its pancreatitis page. |
Pancreatitis is spelled the same way in Spanish and in English. The Real Academia Española dictionary marks it as a feminine noun and a medical term and defines it as inflamación del páncreas, so it takes la: la pancreatitis. MedlinePlus en español gives that same phrase, Inflamación del páncreas, under "Otros nombres". The organ is el páncreas, which the Spanish page of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) describes as una glándula grande detrás del estómago.
The two forms are pancreatitis aguda (acute), which NIDDK describes as sudden and short-term, and pancreatitis crónica (chronic), which it describes as long-lasting. Other words that MedlinePlus en español uses on its pancreatitis page are cálculos biliares (gallstones), enzimas digestivas (digestive enzymes), conducto pancreático (pancreatic duct) and heces grasosas (oily stools).
Phrases for an appointment
What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:
| Who | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Patient | I have severe pain in the upper part of my abdomen, and I have been vomiting. | Tengo un dolor intenso en la parte superior del abdomen y he estado vomitando. |
| Clinician | When did the pain start? Did it come on suddenly? | ¿Cuándo empezó el dolor? ¿Apareció de repente? |
| Patient | It started last night, after dinner. | Empezó anoche, después de la cena. |
| Clinician | Have you ever had gallstones? | ¿Ha tenido alguna vez cálculos biliares? |
| Clinician | How much alcohol do you drink in a week? | ¿Cuánto alcohol bebe en una semana? |
| Patient | Two years ago I was told that I had acute pancreatitis. | Hace dos años me dijeron que tenía pancreatitis aguda. |
| Patient | I have lost weight, and my stools look oily. | He bajado de peso y mis heces se ven grasosas. |
| Patient | Will I have to stay in the hospital? | ¿Tendré que quedarme en el hospital? |
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Pancreatitis |
| Spanish (Español) | Pancreatitis |
| Chinese (中文) | 胰腺炎 |
| Korean (한국어) | 췌장염 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Viêm tụy |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Pancreatitis |
| Portuguese (Português) | Pancreatite |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | ตับอ่อนอักเสบ |
| Japanese (日本語) | 膵炎 |
Where you'll see it
Related ICD-10-CM category
ICD-10-CM code: K85 → Acute pancreatitisRelated terms
Your right to an interpreter in the United States
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.
You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»
More terms: Digestive system
All terms in this area: Digestive system — Sistema digestivo
Sources
- Pancreatitis — MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
- Pancreatitis — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- Symptoms & Causes of Pancreatitis — National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), NIH
- Definición y hechos de la pancreatitis — National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), NIH
- pancreatitis — Diccionario de la lengua española — Real Academia Española / ASALE
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Your Right to Language Assistance Services — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.
Last reviewed: October 8, 2026