Nutritional management of acute pancreatitis in a human immunodeficiency virus-infected patient

Abstract

A 37-year-old male patient was referred from a local clinic with a one-day history of severe abdominal pain and difficulty breathing. In casualty, the patient reported pain in the right and left upper quadrant and the epigastrium, radiating to the back, accompanied by a retrosternal burning sensation. No nausea or vomiting was reported, but he had been constipated for the past three days. He was also known to have human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and had been on highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) since 2008. On examination, the abdomen was distended, rigid and tender.