although work by Slavin
(1999) suggests that measuring trypsin activation peptide
might be a more precise diagnostic tool. The
degree of disease, however, is not clearly identifiable
from these blood results, so two scoring criteria have
been devised: the Ranson scale shown in Box 1 (Ranson
et al 1974) and the APACHE (Acute Physiology and
Chronic Health Evaluation) grading system (Larvin and
McMahon 1989). Both look at the blood glucose level
and score it for diagnostic reasons if it is greater than
10mmol/litre. Further symptoms include: