急性胰腺炎的严重程度分级对临床实践和研究具有重要的意义。国际胰腺病协会通过广泛的专家讨论，把对急性胰腺炎病情变化有决定性影响的因素分成局部和全身因素。局部影响因素指胰腺或胰腺周围组织的坏死，统称为围胰腺坏死；全身影响因素系指由急性胰腺炎引起的远处器官功能异常，即器官功能衰竭。通过将不同严重程度的局部和全身因素的组合，将急性胰腺炎分成轻度、中度、重度、危重四级。该分级系统的特点是依据临床现实的危险因素确定急性胰腺炎的严重程度，而不是一些生化和生理指标。本分级系统的基础是大量的回顾性分析，尚需前瞻性研究验证。

New severity classification system for acute pancreatitis             LOU Wen-hui. Zhong Shan Hospital, Fudan University,Shanghai200032,China
Abstract    Severity classification for acute pancreatitis is crucial for clinical practice and research. After worldwide questionnaire and discussion, the International Association of Pancreatology proposed determinant-based classification of acute pancreatitis severity, which based on the actual local and systemic determinants of severity。The local determinant refers to whether there is (peri)pancreatic necrosis or not; the systemic determinant relates to whether there is organ failure or not, and if present, whether it is transient or persistent. The presence of different determinants classifies acute pancreatitis into 4 categories of severity—mild, moderate, severe, and critical. The advantage of this classification system is clinical based, rather than physiological and biochemical parameters, but still needs to be verified by prospective study.