BCPoCUS - BC Point of Care Ultrasound

BC Point of Care Ultrasound

Your go-to resource for point-of-care ultrasound rapid summaries and videos.

Gallbladder

Rapid Summary
Rapid Summary

When to scan:

  • Epigastric Pain
  • RUQ Pain
  • Unexplained nausea or vomiting
  • Unexplained chest pain
  • Sepsis or delirium in immunocompromised or elderly
5 Minute Video

Where to put the probe:

ultrasound probe finding the gallbladder
ultrasound screen of finding the gallbladder

Finding the gallbladder:

• Patient in left lateral decubitus
• Probe to head
• Start midline on liver edge, slide lateral

showing probe movement

Sweep transverse

view of skin sweeping longitudinal

Sweep longitudinal

Sweeping the gallbladder:

• Sweep entire gallbladder
• Ensure visualization of GB neck

  • Epigastric Pain
  • RUQ Pain
  • Unexplained nausea or vomiting
  • Unexplained chest pain
  • Sepsis or delirium in immunocompromised or elderly

Finding the gallbladder:

  • Patient in left lateral decubitus
  • Probe to head
  • Start midline on liver edge, slide lateral
ultrasound probe finding the gallbladder
ultrasound screen of finding the gallbladder

Sweeping the gallbladder:

  • Sweep entire gallbladder
  • Ensure visualization of GB neck
showing probe movement

Sweep transverse

view of skin sweeping longitudinal

Sweep longitudinal

Findings

Normal gallbladder

• Stones shadow

The more of these present, the more likely the diagnosis:

• Cholelithiasis

• Thickened GB wall

• Pericholecystic fluid

• Sonographic Murphy’s

• “Double barrel” looks like second portal vein +/- signs of cholecystitis

gallbladder findings edge artifact that is a false positive

• Edge artifact shadow

gallbladder findings that is WES

• Too many stones = too much shadow to see GB

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