Comparing the Effects of Lactated Ringers and Normal Saline in Acute Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is increasingly common diagnosis in children. Most of the guidelines related to the details of management of acute pancreatitis are extrapolated from the adult literature. There is only limited data regarding management of acute pancreatitis in children. The mainstay of management is bowel and pancreatic rest with significant fluid support to minimize the effect of the cytokines on the pancreas and other organs. The standard fluid choices are Lactated Ringer's solution (LR) and normal saline (NS). Currently, both LR and NS are used at the discretion of the treating physician as the standard of care for acute pancreatitis. The investigators hope to examine the question of ideal fluid choice for fluid resuscitation in children with acute pancreatitis by assessing recovery time in the context of measured inflammatory markers and SIRS status at 24 and 48 hours after admission. The ideal fluid choice in the initial resuscitation of acute pancreatitis has not been effectively evaluated before in the pediatric population. Even if there is no statistically significant difference between the two fluid options, this trial will still provide clinically significant information.