Gallbladder swelling (inflammation) is referred to as acute cholecystitis. It is a potentially dangerous condition that typically requires hospital treatment.
About acute cholecystitis
A sudden, severe pain that radiates to your right shoulder on the upper right side of your abdomen is the primary sign of acute cholecystitis.
Usually, the affected area of the abdomen is very painful, and deep breathing may make the pain worse.
Contrary to several other types of stomach pain, acute cholecystitis discomfort is typically persistent and lasts for several hours.
Some people may additional symptoms, such as:
- A high temperature (fever)
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sweating
- Loss of appetite
- Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes (jaundice)
- A bulge in the abdomen
When to seek medical advice
You may need emergency surgery if you have complications such as:
- Gangrene (tissue death) of the gallbladder.
- Perforation (a hole that forms in the wall of the gallbladder)
- Pancreatitis (inflamed pancreas)
- Persistent bile duct blockage.
- Inflammation of the common bile duct.
What causes acute cholecystitis?
The gallbladder is inflamed in acute cholecystitis. The cystic duct is typically blocked by a gallstone when it occurs. Gallstones are tiny stones that develop in the gallbladder and are typically made of cholesterol. The gallbladder's major entrance is the cystic duct.
Who is affected
Acute cholecystitis is a relatively common complication of gallstones.
it is estimated that around 10-15% of adults in the uk have gallstones. These don't usually cause any symptoms, but in a small proportion of people they can cause infrequent episodes of pain (known as biliary colic) or acute cholecystitis.
Diagnosing cholecystitis
Images of your gallbladder and bile ducts can be produced using abdominal ultrasound, endoscopic ultrasound, computerised tomography (ct) scan, or magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (mrcp). These images can demonstrate symptoms of gallbladder and bile duct stones or cholecystitis.
Treating acute cholecystitis
Treatment includes a hospital stay and surgical removal.
Nothing by mouth
- Avoiding food and liquids while fasting to relieve your gallbladder's stress.
- To avoid dehydration, fluids are administered intravenously, directly into a vein.
- Using medicine to ease your suffering.
Iv fluids
Treatment of acute cholecystitis in the ed involves supportive care, including hydration, pain relief, and infection prophylaxis. I.v. fluids, such as 0.9% sodium chloride solution, through a large-bore i.v. site will help with rehydration caused by poor appetite and fluid loss associated with vomiting.
Surgery
Cholecystectomy is the surgical removal of the gallbladder. Cholecystectomy is a common treatment of symptomatic gallstones and other gallbladder conditions. In 2011, cholecystectomy was the eighth most common operating room procedure performed in hospitals in the united states.
Possible complications
Without the proper care, acute cholecystitis can occasionally result in complications that could be fatal.
These are the primary side effects of acute cholecystitis:
- The death of the tissue of the gallbladder, called gangrenous cholecystitis, which can cause a serious infection that could spread throughout the body
- The gallbladder splitting open, known as a perforated gallbladder, which can spread the infection within your abdomen (peritonitis) or lead to a build-up of pus (abscess)
To treat these consequences, immediate gallbladder removal surgery is required in roughly 1 in 5 instances of acute cholecystitis.
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