Question

48-Year-Old Female with GallstonesMs. Burton, 48, presents at the clinic complaining of abdominal pain. She is a middle-aged woman, overweight, pale and sweating, with jaundice (yellowish skin and sclerae). Her heart rate is 102 beats/ min and BP is 145/98 mm Hg. She describes the pain as "severe" and "steady" over the past night, accompanied by nausea and vomiting. She sits leaning forward and indicates that the pain is in the epigastric region radiating up to the tip of the right shoulder. Ms. Burton's medical history shows that she has had several episodes of biliary colic (pain caused by gallstones going through the bile duct). She says her current pain is "sort of like that, but it's lasted longer." She says her last meal was a seven-cheese pizza the previous night, and that the pain began 3−4 hours after eating. She denies drinking or smoking.

If Ms. Burton's current problem is related to obstruction of the biliary ducts, which other signs or symptoms would you expect her to develop?
A. Fatty and gray stools.
B. Dizziness and decreased consciousness.
C. Low RBC count
D. .Blood in her stool.

Answer 1

If the biliary ducts are obstructed, Ms. Burton would be expected to develop pale stools, dark urine, and jaundice.

Step-by-step explanation:

If Ms. Burton's current problem is related to obstruction of the biliary ducts, other signs and symptoms she would be expected to develop include pale stools and dark urine. Pale stools occur because the blockage prevents bilirubin, a component of bile, from being excreted in the stool, resulting in a light or clay-colored appearance. Dark urine occurs because the conjugated bilirubin that is not being excreted in the stool is instead excreted in the urine, giving it a darker color.

Additionally, if the biliary ducts are obstructed, the patient may experience jaundice, which is characterized by yellowish skin and sclerae. This occurs because the bilirubin backs up into the liver and is passed into the bloodstream, resulting in the yellow coloration.

In summary, if Ms. Burton's current problem is related to obstruction of the biliary ducts, she would be expected to develop pale stools, dark urine, and jaundice.