Word parts
What it means
Swelling and irritation of the gallbladder, the small sac under the liver that stores bilebileA yellow-green fluid made by the liver and stored in the gallbladder that helps digest fats.chol/e bileFull entry . Most often a gallstone blocks the duct that drains it. It causes pain in the upper right belly that may spread to the right shoulder, often after a fatty meal, with nausea and fever. It can be sudden (acute) or keep coming back (chronic). Treatment is often removal of the gallbladder (cholecystectomykoh-luh-sis-TEK-tuh-meeSurgery to remove the gallbladder.chol/e bilecyst/o sac, bladder-ectomy surgical removalFull entry ).
For the nurse
Assess pain, temperature and for yellowing of the skin or eyes. The client is often kept NPO with IV fluids at first. Teach a low-fat diet.
At a glance
| Spanish | colecistitis |
|---|
Related terms
-itis
A word ending that means inflammation.
jaundice
Yellow color of the skin, the whites of the eyes and other tissues from too much bilirubin in the blood.
cholecystectomy
Surgery to remove the gallbladder.
bile
A yellow-green fluid made by the liver and stored in the gallbladder that helps digest fats.