Key Concepts
Overview
Cholecystitis and Gallstones spans gallbladder, biliary tree, and pancreas complications: RUQ pain patterns, Murphy sign themes, post-ERCP pancreatitis or bleeding vigilance, and pseudocyst/necrosis surveillance after pancreatitis. Nursing care emphasizes NPO, pain control with monitoring, strict I&O, glucose trends, and clear reporting of worsening abdominal exam. Pair acute pancreatitis care, bowel obstruction vs ileus, liver failure & hepatic encephalopathy, and Canada RN hub · US RN hub. Why it matters for nursing care: Cholecystitis and Gallstones requires early recognition, careful trend assessment, and rapid prioritization when the patient begins to deteriorate. Clinical decisions should connect the underlying pathophysiology to the bedside picture so the nurse can distinguish a stable finding from a red flag that changes urgency, monitoring frequency, and provider communication. Exam relevance: Examiners use first, priority, and most important language. Eliminate answers that delay IV access in unstable bleed, offer food before NPO rules are cleared in acute abdomen vignettes, or delegate unstable reassessment to UAP. Expect SBAR with quantified vitals, emesis/stool description, and orthostatic trends when provided. ERCP items probe post-procedure pain, amylase/lipase trends, and bleeding surveillance. On...