Abstract："Acute deficiency syndrome" refers to a pathological state characterized primarily by a sudden collapse of healthy qi due to various factors during the progression of acute diseases. In patients with acute exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis，the abrupt deterioration of the condition is often triggered by improper diet，emotional disturbances，or invasion of pathogenic factors， leading to substantial consumption of healthy qi within a short period， which is consistent with the core connotations of the "acute deficiency syndrome" theory， encompassing features such as rapid onset， swift progression， intermingled deficiency and excess， and deficiency of healthy qi as the key pathogenic mechanism. The guiding principle for syndrome differentiation and treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis is therefore "consolidate the root to prevent transmission and support healthy qi to eliminate pathogenic factors." The acute exacerbation phase can be divided into three stages： in the initial stage， the pathogenesis is characterized by struggle between pathogenic factors and healthy qi complicated by deficiency of healthy qi， and the treatment should clear heat and unblock the fu-organs， supplemented by supporting healthy qi； in the progressive stage， there is an intertwining of deficiency and excess with depletion of qi and yin， and the treatment should combine both attacking pathogenic factors and reinforcing healthy qi，eliminating pathogens while reinforcing healthy qi；in the critical stage，the pathological features are marked by the collapse of healthy qi and the inward invasion of pathogenic factors， and treatment should focus on supporting healthy qi to relieve collapse，in severe cases，treat the branch alone rather than both the root and the branch. Guiding the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis based on the "acute deficiency syndrome" theory may provide novel insights into the management of this disease in traditional Chinese medicine.