Acute pancreatitis is the leading cause of gastrointestinal-related hospitalization in the United States, and its frequency continues to rise in the United States and worldwide. The severity of the disease varies widely, from mild disease needing conservative treatment to severe and complicated disease with high morbidity and mortality. The most common causes of acute pancreatitis include gallstones, alcohol use, and hypertriglyceridemia. The rate of occurrence of each etiology of acute pancreatitis varies across geographic regions and socioeconomic strata.