A patient is suspected of having inflammation of the gallbladder, or cholecystitis. The nurse should conduct which of these techniques to assess for this condition?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Normally palpating the liver causes no pain. In a person with inflammation of the gallbladder, or cholecystitis, pain occurs as the descending liver pushes the inflamed gallbladder onto the examining hand during inspiration (Murphy test). The person feels sharp pain and abruptly stops midway during inspiration. The obturator and iliopsoas muscle tests assess for an inflamed appendix. Although a patient with cholecystitis may have rebound tenderness, the presence of rebound tenderness indicates peritoneal inflammation which could be caused by several things so it is not specific to cholecystitis.

A Patient Is Suspected of Having Inflammation of the Gallbladder