Anticipating severe acute pancreatitis: the challenge of early prediction.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is one of the most frequent causes of gastrointestinal hospital admission and continues to impose a substantial clinical and economic burden on healthcare systems. Although most episodes are mild and self-limiting, a minority of patients develop organ failure (OF), which accounts for most AP-related morbidity and mortality. This marked heterogeneity has made early risk stratification one of the most persistent challenges in pancreatology.