Can Gallbladder Infection Be Cured?

When you have an infected gallbladder, it can become inflamed, causing a condition called cholecystitis. Symptoms of cholecystitis include:

• Severe and constant pain in the upper right abdomen that may last for days
  • May come on suddenly
  • Can worsen when inhaling 
  • Can spread to the back or below the right shoulder blade
• Nausea 
• Vomiting 
• Fever 
• Chills 
• Bloating
• Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
• Loose, light-colored bowel movement

Cholecystitis is a serious condition. See a doctor if pain lasts more than three hours and go to a hospital’s emergency department if pain is severe.

• An infected gallbladder is usually caused by bacteria in the bile duct system, which is the drainage system that carries bile from the liver and gallbladder into the first part of the small intestine (the duodenum).

Gallbladder infections are diagnosed with a patient history and physical examination, along with tests such as:

• Blood tests
  • Complete blood count (CBC)
  • Liver tests
  • Blood amylase or lipase levels
• Imaging tests
  • Ultrasound 
  • Computed tomography (CT) scan
  • Hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan
  • Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)
  • Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

Complications of a severe gallbladder infection include: 

• Liver inflammation 
• Liver abscess
• Torn gallbladder
• Death of some of the tissue in the gallbladder
• Sepsis, which is a life-threatening response to infection
• The stomach and first part of the small intestine (duodenum) next to the gallbladder can also be affected 
• Death