Acute pancreatitis or acute pancreatic necrosis is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas. Depending on its severity, it can have severe complications and high mortality despite treatment. While mild cases are often successfully treated with conservative measures, such as NPO (nil per os or nothing by mouth) and IV fluid rehydration, severe cases may require admission to the ICU or even surgery (often requiring more than one intervention) to deal with complications of the disease process.