Where I work our critical care unit is called "CCU" we take care of any type of critical care patient which could include pancreatitis. However, I have never seen a patient that has had health problems related to a low carb diet. Even if a patient says that they were on low carb, how would you know that it was the cause of the health problems? To link pancreatitis to low carb eating, your Mom's friend would have to know exactly what they were eating, how long they were on the diet, any pre-existing conditions etc... I doubt that she has enough information to link Atkins to their medical condition.