A 62-year-old man with chronic pancreatitis; fecal elastase test indicates pancreatic exocrine insufficiency; Creon contains which enzymes?

• A. Amylase only
• B. Amylase, lipase and protease
• C. Lipase only
• D. Protease only

Answer: (B)

Pancreatic exocrine insufficiency requires replacing all the digestive enzymes the pancreas normally supplies. Creon provides a broad spectrum of pancreatic enzymes to mimic normal secretion: amylase for carbohydrate digestion, lipase for fat digestion, and protease for protein digestion. In chronic pancreatitis with EPI, you need these three together to improve overall digestion and nutrient absorption, which is why Creon contains amylase, lipase and protease. The other options are incomplete because they omit one or more enzyme types, such as amylase alone (missing fat and protein digestion), lipase alone (missing carbohydrate and protein digestion), or protease alone (missing fat and carbohydrate digestion).