A 40-year-old man comes to the hospital because of a 2-hour history of severe epigastric pain, nausea, and vomiting. Abdominal examination shows guarding and rigidity. The patient is admitted to the hospital and treated with intravenous fluids and pain medication, but his condition fails to improve Ultrasonography of the abdomen shows diffuse enlargement of the pancreas; no gallstones are visualized. The inappropriate activation of which of the following most likely initiated this patient's condition?

Question

A 40-year-old man comes to the hospital because of a 2-hour history of severe epigastric pain, nausea, and vomiting. Abdominal examination shows guarding and rigidity. The patient is admitted to the hospital and treated with intravenous fluids and pain medication, but his condition fails to improve Ultrasonography of the abdomen shows diffuse enlargement of the pancreas; no gallstones are visualized.   The inappropriate activation of which of the following most likely initiated this patient's condition?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Pancreatic zymogens are normally converted into their active form by trypsin in the duodenal lumen.  Premature cleavage of trypsinogen to trypsin within the pancreas leads to uncontrolled activation of these zymogens, causing pancreatic autodigestion and acute pancreatitis.

A 40-Year-Old Man Comes to the Hospital Because of a 2-Hour