Assessment & Management of Biliary Disorders Flashcards
What does the biliary tract do?
transports bile from liver to bile duct and then to duodenum
What does the gallbladder do?
Stores Bile which was originally made by hepatocytes or liver cells.
What is the purpose of bile?
Emulsifies fat for digestion and to be absorbed by small intestine
Sphincter that controls bile flow into intestine?
Sphincter of Oddi
Gallbladder contraction is regulated by _________ which secrete due to ______.
Hormones which secrete due to fat
What does the pancreas produce?
Endocrine and Exocrine Hormones for digestion
Endocrine hormones by the pancreas?
Insulin - released by beta cells. lowers blood glucose levels due to it being the key
Glucagon - released by alpha cells and raises blood glucose when called upon
Somatostatin - released by delta cells. hypoglycemic effect since it can interfere with glucagon
Exocrine hormones secreted by pancreas?
lipase - fat breakdown
amylase - carb breakdown
trypsin - protein breakdown
secretin - stimulates sodium bicarb and bile secretion to decrease GI movement
Two major gallbladder disorders
Cholecystitis
Cholelithiasis
Cholecystitis definition?
Calculous or acalculous meaning
Acute or chronic inflammation of the gallbladder
Means with or without stones.
How can acalculous cholecystitis develop?
Can occur after surgery, burn, or trauma
What is Cholelithiasis?
Why are they such a problem?
Means gallstones caused by bile or cholesterol
Can lead to a bile back up and inflamed GB
Could also block pancreatic duct too causing pancreatitis
How are pigment bile stones formed
What might trigger this?
Bile pigment precipitates to form stones which have to be surgically removed bc they do not dissolve
Cirrhosis
Bile tract infections
How do cholesterol stones form?
Decrease in synthesis of bile acid leading to more cholesterol which combines with bile and then forms the stone
Risk factors of cholelithiasis or stones
Yoyo diets
Female, fat, and fair
Hormone replacements
Obesity
Progesterone from pregnancy
Will cholelithiasis have a lot of symptoms that the patient notices?
What is the Murphy’s sign?
No, it is mostly asymptomatic.
There may be pain in the RUQ of the abdomen which radiates to the right shoulder or back.
Might have abdominal distention, N/V after fatty foods. Fever and flatulence could occur.
Murphy sign may happen due to contraction of the GB when breathing in and pain upon palpitation.
What could gallstones mimic?
A heart issue. Especially nitro doesn’t work.
Biliary Colic means
contraction of the GB and spasms
Upon physical examination, what is noticeable?
Jaundice Clay stool Pruritus Vitamin deficiency Elderly may not have any pain or fever Steatorhea or fat in stool with bad smell
Lab trends that will increase
WBC due to infection
Bilirubin bc it is not being excreted and causes jaundice
Amylase and Lipase if pancreas involved
Cholesterol
AST and LDH if liver involved
Diagnostic tests done
3/4
ultrasound and CT
ERCP - looks at gallbladder through esophagus
Cholescintigraphy - heptabiliary scan to asses patency of bile duct
What is bowel rest?
What needs to be watched?
Taking a break from eating food by mouth, so NPO.
Watch for F&E
How can we get the stones out without surgery?
5
Gallstones can be dissolved
T-tube retrieval
ERCP - frequent
E Lithotripsy - breaks it up
E Shock Wave Lithotripsy - breaks it up using high energy sound waves
How can we get stones out WITH surgery?
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy assisted with a robot
Open Cholecystectomy
Small incision
Choledochostomy
Cholecystostomy
What happens if the gallbladder is removed tho?
The hepatocytes will just continuously drain the liver. Body will adjust to it
Once a stone is removed, what will be done?
Stone Biopsy
After any surgery, will you probably have respiratory issues?
Yes.
Why might there be nutrition issues
They just don’t want to eat. But we don’t want them to develop an ileus.
Why might there be bleeding after surgery?
Always an issue after large surgery. May use a JP drain and suture it in. Or a t-tube drain.
DVT after surgery?
Very high. Due to age and obesity too
What are some routine post op things you need to do?
Deep breathing and coughing. Plus splinting
Repositioning.
Check vitals.
Check labs. Feel pulses and feel for all major assessments.
Input and Output.
Pain scales.
Why would the patient be having right shoulder pain after surgery?
How to help them?
CO2 inflation after lapcoly. It doesn’t have an outlet due to it rising now.
Get them a heating pad.
If there are respiratory issues what can you do?
Raise the HOB. Administer O2 with order. Check the tension lines
If there are a lot of NG drains and tubes what should you do?
Just assess for patency and make sure there’s no tension or mechanical issues with them if the patient can’t breath.