How to check the pancreas, what tests need to be passed?

2023 Author: Alfred Shackley | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 13:14

The wrong image, lack of physical activity and bad habits will not lead you to illness immediately. At first, this will be a weakening of the body, and then an inflammatory process in the pancreas may develop.

Moreover, if left untreated, sooner or later, it will most likely lead to a tumor. Therefore, it is necessary to check the pancreas periodically. But how to check the pancreas, what tests do you need to take?

Examination of the pancreas: what tests are worth taking

First of all, it is worth noting that the examination should be comprehensive and include not only the study of the structure of the organ, but also the verification of its functionality. Let's start with laboratory diagnostics.

In this case, the diagnosis of the condition of the gland consists in passing the following tests:

• General blood analysis;
• Blood chemistry;
• And specific blood tests for enzymes such as alpha-amylase, lipase, glucose and trypsin determination.

In addition, you need to pass a urine test for amylase and the presence of amino acids. It is also necessary to donate feces for the determination of the enzyme elastase.

Moreover, in some cases, in addition to laboratory tests, the work of the gland can be checked using stress tests. The essence of such tests is that special substances are introduced into the body before they are carried out.

Load tests include:

• Proserine test. First, you need to determine the initial concentration of urine diastase. Then take the drug "Proserin". Then, every two hours, the level of diastase is measured;
• Iodolipol test. In the morning, immediately after waking up and the first visit to the toilet, the patient is given the drug "Iodolipol". Then, after one hour, an hour and a half and two hours, the concentration of iodide in the patient's urine is checked;
• Secreatin-pancreozymin test. The essence of the test is that secretin is injected into the rectum, as a result of which the chemical composition of the intestinal contents changes;
• Glucose Tolerance Test. It is important to carry out such a test if there are suspicions of disturbances in the endocrine apparatus of the pancreas. In this case, the patient first takes a glucose solution orally. Then the amount of glucose is measured in the urine one hour, one and a half and two hours after taking glucose;
• Glycoamylasemic test. The initial blood glucose level is measured first. The patient then takes fifty milliliters of glucose by mouth. A second blood test is performed three hours later.

As for self-checking the gland at home, symptoms of the development of the disease can be severe girdle pain, bloating, vomiting, nausea, and fever. It is worth paying attention to the fact that with a disease of this organ, there is a low blood pressure. Remember that self-medication in this case is unacceptable. You need to immediately see a doctor and get tested.

How to check the pancreas: preparation for tests

As you already understood, most of these tests must be taken on an empty stomach. Otherwise, the study of enzymes may show an incorrect result.

As for the collection of feces and urine, it should be carried out using a special disposable container. Please note that urine and feces must be collected in one portion to obtain a reliable result.

When stress tests are passed, after the control measurement of the level of the studied enzyme, a special drug is introduced into the body. Then, after a certain time, another study takes place.

When determining the level of enzymes such as trypsin lipase or amylase in the intestinal contents, thirty milliliters of hydrochloric acid is injected into the intestine. After that, measurements are taken several times. It is worth paying attention to the fact that such studies are carried out on an empty stomach.

In the first two results, after the introduction of hydrochloric acid, the amount of these enzymes decreases in the absence of pathologies. In subsequent studies, the level of enzymes begins to rise. But in the presence of pathology, the level of enzymes continues to decrease after the second and third examinations.

Deciphering the results of the examination of the pancreas

Let's start with a general blood test. In the presence of acute or chronic inflammation in the gland, an increase in the level of leukocytes is noted in the general blood test (the norm is 4, 0-9, 0 × 10⁹/ l), segmented (norm - 47-72%) and stab (norm - 1-6%) neutrophils. The level of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) also increases, the rate of which for women is five to fifteen mm / h, for men - three to ten mm / h.

In a biochemical blood test, an increase in the level of direct and total bilirubin indicates the presence of disturbances in the work of the pancreas. Most often this occurs with the icteric form of pancreatitis. Also significant for the diagnosis of diseases in this case is an increase in the level of gamma globulins, sialic acids and seromucoid.

Now for the enzyme tests. Alpha-amylase - participates in the digestive process. Its highest concentration is observed in the salivary glands and pancreas. Most often, an analysis for this enzyme is used to diagnose the presence of pancreatitis.

The amylase activity in duodenal juice is used to diagnose chronic pancreatitis.

The norm for amylase in the blood is from sixteen to thirty μcatal / l. The norm for amylase in urine is from twenty-eight to one hundred μcatal / l.

An increase in the level of amylase in the blood may indicate acute pancreatitis or exacerbation of a chronic, swelling in the gland. Also, an increase in the level of this enzyme in the blood can be observed with severe alcohol intoxication. An increase in the level of amylase in the urine is possible in the same cases as an increase in the blood.

In addition, a greater amount of the enzyme in the urine may indicate the presence of cholecystitis. An increase in the level of the enzyme in the urine is also possible with bleeding from an ulcer in the intestine. It should be noted that in cancer of the gland, the amount of amylase in the blood and urine remains unchanged. But its concentration increases with mumps, ectopic pregnancy, appendicitis.

Lipase is another enzyme involved in the digestive process. In particular, thanks to it, the breakdown of fats occurs. In the body, this enzyme is produced by the lungs, white blood cells and the pancreas. Its greatest activity can be observed in the presence of diseases of the pancreas. It is worth noting that there are no traces of lipase in the urine sample of a healthy person.

The result obtained after this analysis is more accurate than after the analysis for amylase. In the presence of diseases such as acute appendicitis, mumps, liver inflammation or ectopic pregnancy, the amount of lipase remains unchanged.

The normal lipase activity in the blood is from thirteen to sixteen U / ml. The activity of lipase in the blood can be increased in diseases such as acute pancreatitis or a tumor in the pancreas.

Trypsin levels are even more reliable. After all, it is produced only by the pancreas. Most often, doctors prescribe such an analysis if acute or chronic pancreatitis is suspected. In the presence of pathologies, the activity of trypsin will exceed sixty μg / l.

As for glucose in the blood, in the presence of diseases associated with pathologies of the pancreas, its amount will be increased (more than six mmol / l).

When conducting a glycoamylasemic test, three hours after ingestion of glucose in the pathology of the pancreas, its level increases by about twenty-five percent relative to the initial level.

In the absence of pathologies in the iodolipol test after taking the drug, iodide is determined in the urine after an hour, and its amount increases in two and a half hours. In the presence of pathologies, an increase in iodide is not observed.

As you can see, when examining the gland, you need to pass quite a lot of tests. Moreover, many of them involve the introduction of special drugs into the body. As for the decryption, do not rush to draw any conclusions on your own. Remember that only a qualified specialist can know all the nuances. Good luck and don't get sick!