The purpose of this study is to determine the effects (good and bad) of giving a drug called
pentoxifylline to patients with acute pancreatitis, to see if it can improve blood tests
associated with inflammation (tissue damage). Pentoxifylline is approved by the US Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of circulation problems, but its use in this study is
investigational, which means that the FDA has not approved it for the treatment of
pancreatitis. However, the FDA has allowed the use of pentoxifylline in this research study.