Gall Bladder Infection

Gall Bladder Infection






Gall bladder infection is also known as cholecystitis. Gall bladder is a small organ located by the side of liver and plays vital role in the digestion of the food. It secretes yellowish fluid called bilirubin which is essential for the process of digestion. However if the flow of bile is blocked in the middle it gets accumulated in the gallbladder causing inflammation and pain.

Causes :

Gall bladder infection is caused due to the presence of gallstone. Cystic duct is a small tube that passes from the bile to the gallbladder. When small pieces of bile gather to become hard stones they got stuck in this tube, thus not allowing the bile to pass through it. This condition is called cholecystitis which is formed as the result of bulging of cystic duct. Gallstones are formed as a slow process when bile particles gets accumulated and become hard taking the shape of small stones.

For some people, gallbladder may get infected after surgery. Hence post surgery care is very important to prevent infection.

Severe illness can also affect the function of bile duct causing cholecystitis. If the person suffers from burn injuries it may affect the gallbladder seriously. Even Sepsis can cause gall bladder infection.

In children, gall stones are formed over a period of time when viral infections are not treated properly.

If the body’s immunity is lowered or if the immune system is not functioning well, it can affect the gallbladder causing infection.

The gallbladder becomes swollen and gets irritated on account of gallstones.

This condition can happen due to accident or trauma caused to the region of stomach.

Some medical conditions like chronic diabetes and HIV infection can also seriously affect gallbladder causing acute cholecystitis which is life-threatening condition. Acute condition demands immediate hospitalization and surgery for removing gallbladder.

Chronic chlectystitis is a slow process which gradually accumulates gall stones on the cystic duct causing inflammation and affecting the walls of the gall bladder which would become hard in the process.

Symptoms :

Some of the common signs of gall bladder infection are mild to severe pain in the right abdomen region. The pain may radiate towards shoulder blade or back. It can be accompanied with fever, nausea, vomiting, tenderness and intense pain after taking food. There may be sharp pain while taking a deep breath. The pain may worsen after some time and it may lasts for several hours. Even after the pain subsides, you may feel discomfort on the abdomen area. Diarrhea and indigestion are common in people with gall bladder infection.

Stomach bloating or fullness is felt by many people with gall bladder infection. Vomiting sensation may be continuous even without taking food.

Frequent discharge of gas or burping sensation is an indication of gall bladder infection.

Generally gallstones formation does not require any treatment. But if the gallstones block the path of the bile thus blocking its flow, it can cause inflammation of the gallbladder. As time passes, the inflammation may rapidly spread to other parts affecting liver and Pancreas. Fever with vomiting and pain on the right abdomen is a clear indication for gallstone.

Jaundice is another symptom that confirms the formation of gallstones in the gall bladder. Your skin may become yellowish and even it may affect your eyes. If a person gets jaundice it signals that underlying bile ducts are affected and blocked.

Diagnoses :

Your doctor will look for the above symptoms. He will feel your right abdomen on careful physical examination. He may order for complete blood test and ultrasound scan for detecting the presence of gallstones.

For some people, nuclear scanning test is done to find the extent of blockage in the bile duct.

Treatment :

The mode of treatment depends on the intensity of symptoms, age and general health condition of the person. If the person with small gallstones does not have any pain or other symptoms, he need not take any treatment. Some others are given antibiotics which give power to fight back the infection. It boosts the body’s immunity which will destroy infection in due course. The doctor will restrict the bowel flow to give complete rest for the intestine to facilitate healing.

For acute cholecystitis, emergency treatment is required. Surgery is done after making small incisions on the abdomen through laparoscopic procedure. But for some patients it may require open surgery for removing gallbladder if the infection is deeper.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangio pancreas tography ERCP is done for removing small gallstones on the bile duct.

In most of the cases, gall stones can be removed by endoscopic method or laparoscopic surgery and only few of them will require extensive surgery for removing gallbladder.

For mild to moderate size of gallstones, medications are given for dissolving it inside.

Recommended Diet :

Bland diet is given for controlling the symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting sensation and pain on the abdomen. Bland diet includes foods that are easy to digest and you need to avoid spicy and fried items during this period.

You can include lots of weak tea, gelatin, plenty of fruits and juice. Cooked vegetables, soups, pudding, and custard, lean meat can also be taken as per the advice of your doctor.

Some people are prescribed to follow low fat diet which helps the bile duct to break down fatty molecules easily and improve digestion. You can also consider taking banana, rice and apple sauce and toast which is shortly called BRAT diet.

Gall Bladder Infection

Gall Bladder Infection

What is Gall Bladder Infection?

Our gallbladder is an essential organ, even for its small pear size, of our body for it stores essential component bile. The liver produces the bile that is vital in fat digestion and the color of our excreta. When an infection arises, it is said to be quite difficult to bear and shall need to be surgically intervened. The importance of the gallbladder is somehow taken for granted that is why many are unaware that they have damaged this organ. The bile that is being stored in the gallbladder serves as an emulsifier of the fats, making it into a soluble solution, now viable for the body as our fuel. When we eat food rich in fats, the gallbladder is responsible in the release of the right amount of bile for the fat emulsification. The condition is also referred as acute cholecystitis.

Gall Bladder Infection Symptoms

The presenting symptoms of an infected gallbladder are the following:

• The pain felt may start at the back, in between the shoulder blades. The pain is sometimes restricted to the right shoulder. Abdomen is also described as tender and is greatly felt in the upper quadrant. The pain is more prominent when the person is coughing or when one moves. Sometimes slight movement can emit excruciating.


• Nausea and vomiting are sometimes in conjunction. Abdominal discomfort is usually experienced by a patient.


• Excessive Burping is due to the infection causing gas formation.


• Indigestion and Diarrhea are common manifestations of gallbladder infection.


• Fever is part of the inflammatory process making the person uncomfortable. The infectious process causes to have fever and may be accompanied by chills.


• Usually, the elderly people experience fatigue, abdominal discomfort such as vomiting and loss of appetite. Fever is not common to the age group.


• Jaundice is also expected. It is presented by yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eye.


• Alteration of the stool and urine color is a result of the lack of bile. Because of the infection, the person shall have a dark-colored urine while there stools are grayish in color.

Gall Bladder Infection Causes

The gallbladder infection is caused by various factors. Here are the causes of gallbladder infection:

Gallstones

The development infection can begin when gallstones accumulate the gallbladder.

Severe illness

Underlying conditions such as body infection or Sepsis can cause for an infection of the gallbladder. Burns or critical injuries are included as one of the causes of infection.

Underlying viral infection

A viral infection such as this can be a root cause for infecting the gallbladder. A prolonged infection, with no treatment, would most probably end up affecting other organs of the body.

Post abdominal injury
A person may develop such condition if a major abdominal injury has not been done aseptically.

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Immunocompromised

A person with a lowered immune system is indeed prone to such condition.

Gall Bladder Infection Treatment

One of the treatments for those affected of this condition is a new diet regimen. Below is the recommended diet for those suffering from gallbladder infection:

Bland diet
This diet contains food that are of help in making one feel stuffed. The food is also easy to eat and easy to digest. A bland diet provides certain foods that are not irritable to the gallbladder. Basically, bland diet provides tea, soups, broths, gelatin, and fruit and vegetable juices. Tofu, cooked vegetables, pudding and custard with lean meats are included in this diet.

Low-fat diet
A low-fat diet is truly recommended to patients for this can avoid worsening of the condition and in order to reduce gallbladder inflammation. It is understandable that fats are not easily digested because the function of the gallbladder is altered. When too much fat is ingested, without the help of the gallbladder, further irritation may occur and inflammation shall persist.

Brat diet
This diet is similar with bland diet. The diet stands for bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. This makes bland diet more tolerable for it also provides minerals and vitamins.

Medical treatment is also essential in the process. If ever the condition is caused by the gallstone formations, treating it is a must. First thing to do is to find remedies for the gallstone. There are herbal remedies for this condition that is made available to the public. Surgical removal of the stones is also a choice. The removal of the gallstones is called cholecystectomy. After the surgical intervention, it is to expect that they no longer need to avoid fatty food. Gradual return to the diet is attained. But take note that a complication is possible and that is postcholecystectomy syndrome. Pain killers are provided to patient especially for those who suffer from severe pain. The drugs recommended are Demerol or ketorolac. Ketorolac shouldn’t be used on patients who are likely prone to nausea and vomiting.

It is to be expected that one will reach recovery period within a week’s time. As the condition continues to persist, contacting the doctor is important. We need to see if complications have arisen and must be evaluated accordingly.

Antibiotics for Gall bladder Infection

Antibiotics are included in the treatment regimen. Infection is treated with broad spectrum antibiotics such as piperacillin-tazobactam, ampicillin-sulbactam, ticarcillin-clavulanate or cephalosporin. It is recommended that those who are prone to allergies to take aztreonam or clindamycin. Make sure that when you are in your antibiotic therapy, strict compliance is a must to avoid drug resistance.