Pancreatic stimulation and therefore digestion is a tightly controlled and hormonally mediated process. Any alterations affecting any of the systematic steps for successful digestion and absorption to occur will impair appropriate pancreatic enzymatic secretion, entry into the bowel lumen, functionality once inside the lumen, and thus appropriate mixing with foods and nutrients. Many causes of pancreatic insufficiency may require the initiation of pancreatic enzyme therapy, including but not limited to cystic fibrosis, pancreatic cancer, acute and chronic pancreatitis, and pancreatic surgery. This purpose of this article is to help clarify the conditions that cause pancreatic insufficiency, how to determine if the patient is malabsorbing, and the best use of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy for treatment in these conditions. The first step in determining if pancreatic enzyme therapy is appropriate is to determine if the patient is malabsorbing specifically due to pancreatic exocrine insufficiency. An overview of the methods used to determine pancreatic insufficiency is provided, as well as appropriate treatment methods. Recent Food and Drug Administration regulations require a more thorough process, including randomized controlled trials to prove the safety and efficacy of pancreatic enzymes, to approve them for use. The studies used to verify efficacy also are examined. Last, dosing guidelines and some unconventional ways to administer pancreatic enzymes, such as during enteral feedings, are reviewed.
Keywords: amylases; cystic fibrosis; lipase; malabsorption syndromes; pancreatic cancer; pancreatic diseases; pancreatic enzymes; pancreatitis; trypsin.