Consensus guidelines on severe acute pancreatitis released by the Italian Association for the Study of the Pancreas (AISP) in 2015 consists of three sections that include the definitions of complications of severe acute pancreatitis, and the conservative and interventional treatment of severe acute pancreatitis, with recommendations for a total of 54 detailed clinical questions, and the evidence level and recommendation grade according to the Oxford criteria also provided. The guidelines provide comprehensive information on the principles for diagnosis and management of severe acute pancreatitis, which reflects the current status of understanding and treatment strategies of this disease. They deserve to be used as reference and guidance.