Cholangitis

CHOLANGITIS: DEADLY CAUSE OF RIGHT UPPER QUADRANT ABDOMINAL PAIN

emDocs - February 26, 2016 - 

Author: Willis G - Edited by: Robertson J and Koyfman A

Take Home Points

• Always think about cholangitis in any ill-appearing patient with RUQ pain or undifferentiated sepsis.
• Charcot’s triad and Reynold’s pentad are not reliable. Absence of these clinical findings does not rule out cholangitis. Use the total picture with clinical exam, labwork, and imaging studies.
• Early antibiotics and consultation for biliary decompression are mainstays of therapy.

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(Image By Salim Rezaie @srrezaie #FOAMed)