Question

A 24 year old woman presents to ED with 12hr hx pain in upper right abdomen, nausea, vomiting, anorexia. PE shows guarding and RUQ tenderness. the patient has no other suspicious history of physical exam findings that suggest a diagnosis other than gallstone disease. How would you establish a diagnosis?

Answer 1

To establish a diagnosis, several diagnostic tests can be performed including abdominal ultrasound, HIDA scan, endoscopic ultrasound, abdominal X-ray, or CT scan. These tests can help detect gallstones or determine if there are complications like cholecystitis or pancreatitis.

Step-by-step explanation:

To establish a diagnosis for this 24-year-old woman presenting with pain in the upper right abdomen, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, guarding, and right upper quadrant tenderness, several diagnostic tests can be performed.

An abdominal ultrasound can detect gallstones that might be causing the symptoms. A HIDA scan can help measure gallbladder function. Endoscopic ultrasound can reveal gallstones and can be useful in diagnosing severe pancreatitis. Other tests like abdominal X-ray or computed tomography (CT) scan may also show evidence of gallbladder disease or pancreatitis.

Based on the patient's symptoms and physical exam findings, further diagnostic investigations such as imaging tests can help establish a diagnosis of gallstone disease or potential complications like cholecystitis or pancreatitis.