A Benign Finding of Hemorrhagic Pancreatitis

Hemorrhagic pancreatitis is a rare cause of hypovolemic shock. It presents as silent bleeding, with signs of hypovolemic shock and abdominal pain eventually culminating in life-threatening bleeding. This case study delves into a case of hemorrhagic pancreatitis in a 49-year-old male. Notably, he has a history of recurrent lower extremity (LE) deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and atrial fibrillation (AF) on Coumadin. He came in with shortness of breath (SOB) and was admitted for acute hypoxic respiratory failure secondary to Influenza A. A few days into admission, the patient developed acute cardiogenic shock, septic shock, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The patient developed rectal bleeding with a decrease in hemoglobin and hematocrit. A computed tomography (CT) of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis (CAP) without (w/o) contrast was performed to find a source. It showed hemorrhagic pancreatitis in the head/tail region. The bleeding resolved on its own without interventions or blood transfusion. Hemorrhagic pancreatitis carries a high mortality rate. In this case, it had an insidious onset with self-resolution, a rare case. Physicians should make quick referrals for surgical resection in hopes of better outcomes.