Lab Values for Chronic Cholecystitis (Nursing)

00:00 So look at this chart, what's different about chronic cholecystitis versus acute? I'll give you just a minute.

00:10 Yeah, chronic cystitis patients might have normal values.

00:16 Now do they have damage to their gallbladder? Oh, yeah, it may be pretty bad too.

00:22 However, because it's developed chronic overtime repeated bouts, when you're drawing their lab work, it may not be evident in abnormal values, but I want to tell you when someone is diagnosed with chronic cholecystitis what you should assess because if this inflammation keeps reoccurring repeatedly, the gallbladder just doesn't function very well.

00:43 It becomes fibrotic and you don't fibrotic means the gallbladders intended to be able to, to squish out all that bile when it's needed.

00:52 If it's fibrotic it's stiff.

00:55 And therefore it can't really empty out fully and it doesn't do its one job.

01:01 A gallbladder has one job and that is to concentrate bile and then release it when it's needed.

01:08 If it is fibrotic and stiff because of chronic cholecystitis.

01:13 This function just doesn't happen effectively.

01:16 We're evaluating for leukocytosis it may or may not be elevated.

01:19 Remember chronic cholecystitis causes may have normal lab work because this happens over a period of time but we're still going to watch for leukocytosis.

01:29 We're going to look for an elevated bilirubin and an alkaline phosphatase.

01:34 But remember chronic patients often have lab values with normal ranges if they're not having an acute attack.

01:41 Okay. I know I've said that like an annoying amount of times.

01:45 I understand.

01:46 But remember we're very intentional with your learning at lecturio.

01:50 So here's what we want you to take away.

01:53 You may have a patient in for something else and you draw this lab work because you know their history, if they're not an especially severe acute attack, these labs may be relatively normal.

02:05 If they are a patient with a diagnosis of chronic cholecystitis.

02:09 You know, they got it, but they're not having an acute attack, the lab work could come back straight up within normal ranges.