Cholecystitis: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment Strategies

This report provides a comprehensive overview of cholecystitis, an inflammatory condition of the gallbladder. It delves into the pathophysiology, primarily caused by obstructions like gallstones, which impede bile flow and trigger inflammation. The report outlines the major signs and symptoms, including abdominal pain and fever, and highlights the potential for severe complications if left untreated. Treatment interventions discussed include intravenous antibiotics and surgical interventions like cholecystectomy. The report also emphasizes the importance of considering patient cultural needs and collaborative work with other healthcare professionals to ensure positive health outcomes, especially for nurses involved in the care of cholecystitis patients. The report is based on the NURS 135 course at St. Francis Xavier University.

Running head: DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF CHOLECYSTISIS
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF CHOLECYSTISIS
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF CHOLECYSTIS
Table of Contents
1. Introduction......................................................................................................................2
2. Discussion........................................................................................................................2
2.1. Pathophysiology.......................................................................................................2
2.2. Signs and Symptoms.................................................................................................2
2.3. Treatment Interventions............................................................................................3
3. Conclusion.......................................................................................................................3
References............................................................................................................................4

2DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF CHOLECYSTIS
1. Introduction
The following paper will demonstrate a brief overview of ‘Cholecystisis’, an
inflammatory condition of the gall bladder (Sato et al., 2018), along with its underlying
pathophysiology, the resultant signs and symptoms and interventions associated with optimum
diagnosis and treatment.
2. Discussion
2.1. Pathophysiology
As denoted by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (2019),
‘Cholcystisis’ is the name given to acute and unpredictable condition of inflammation in the gall
bladder. The condition, as researched by Sato et al., (2017), is caused primarily due to
obstruction in the cystic duct by gallstones, resulting in hindrances to normal bile flow and
increased pain and iflamation-inducing exertion on the gall bladder for bile production.
Additionally, as per the Canadian Cancer Society (2019), cholecystisis may also be caused due to
cancer in the gall bladder, which is associated with abnormal changes across gall bladder cells.
2.2. Signs and Symptoms
As researched by Borzellino et al., (2015), the major signs and symptoms associated with
cholecystisis include, fever and pain in the abdomen. If left untreated, as evidenced by Ngu et al.,
(2017), it may lead to chronic and adverse conditions such as peforations in the gallbladder as
well as gangrene and emphysema in the gall bladder.

3DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF CHOLECYSTIS
2.3. Treatment Interventions
Some of the most prevalently used interventions which have been associated with long
term positive outcomes and reduced rates of recurrences, as researched by Wang et al., (2016), a
include intravenous administration on antibiotics and surgical removal or cholecystectomy. In
criticism however, for patients who are free from life threatening complications of the condition,
as researched by Loozen, Oor, Ramshorst, Santvoort and Boerma (2017), conservative, non-
surgical interventions may be more beneficial. Likewise, as postulated by McDonald and
McIntyre (2017), nurses who are allocated for the care of cholecystisis patients, must adhere to
professional standards of working collaboratively with health professionals specializing in both
surgical and non-surgical fields and practicing cultural competence when interacting with
patients belonging to First Peoples communities.
3. Conclusion
This paper hence, provides key insights on the pathological and treatment aspects of the
inflammatory condition of cholecystisis. Nurses must seek to work collaboratively with various
health professionals along with consideration of patient cultural needs to ensure positive health
outcomes.

4DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF CHOLECYSTIS
References
Borzellino, G., Massimiliano Motton, A. P., Minniti, F., Montemezzi, S., Tomezzoli, A., &
Genna, M. (2016). Sonographic diagnosis of acute cholecystitis in patients with
symptomatic gallstones. Journal of Clinical Ultrasound, 44(3), 152-158. doi:
https://doi.org/10.1002/jcu.22305.
Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health. (2019). Diagnosis of Acute
Cholecystitis. Retrieved 13 September 2019, from
https://www.cadth.ca/resources/diagnosis-acute-cholecystitis.
Canadian Cancer Society. (2019). What is gallbladder cancer? - Canadian Cancer Society.
Retrieved 13 September 2019, from https://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-
type/gallbladder/gallbladder-cancer/?region=on.
Loozen, C. S., Oor, J. E., van Ramshorst, B., van Santvoort, H. C., & Boerma, D. (2017).
Conservative treatment of acute cholecystitis: a systematic review and pooled
analysis. Surgical endoscopy, 31(2), 504-515. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-016-
5011-x.
McDonald, C., & McIntyre, M. (2017). Realities of Canadian Nursing: Professional, Practice,
and Power Issues. Canada: Wolters Kluwer Health. Retrieved from:
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=kdZLpKyys
IC&dq=Realities+of+Canadian+Nursing&source=gbs_navlinks_s.
Ngu, N. L., Olaussen, A., Wong, J., Snow, H., Cullinan, M., & Sitzler, P. J. (2017). Perforated
gangrenous cholecystitis with concurrent Clostridium perfringens bacteraemia

5DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF CHOLECYSTIS
masquerading as adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder: A case report. Int J Case Rep
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Sato, N., Kinoshita, A., Imai, N., Akasu, T., Yokota, T., Iwaku, A., ... & Saruta, M. (2018).
Inflammation-based prognostic scores predict disease severity in patients with acute
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Wang, C. H., Wu, C. Y., Yang, J. C. T., Lien, W. C., Wang, H. P., Liu, K. L., ... & Chen, S. C.
(2016). Long-term outcomes of patients with acute cholecystitis after successful
percutaneous cholecystostomy treatment and the risk factors for recurrence: a decade
experience at a single center. PloS one, 11(1), 1-13. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148017.