This is a specialized, critical test for severe abdominal pain. It measures the level of lipase, a pancreatic enzyme, in a sample of fluid from your abdomen (ascitic fluid). In a healthy person, lipase should not be there. An extremely high level of lipase in this fluid is a definitive sign of acute pancreatitis or a perforation (hole) in your intestine. A sample of the fluid is collected for this test, which provides rapid, life-saving diagnostic information to guide emergency medical care.