What is cholangitis?
Cholangitis is an infection of bile ducts, a channel that expresses the bile from the gallbladder and the liver to the duodenum of the small intestine that helps in food digestion. Obstruction caused by the presence of something like a stone, tumor or blood clot in the bile duct system is generally the main cause of the disease. Other possible causes include blood infections or bacteria, bacteria from the small intestine or diagnostic test such as endoscopy. Among the symptoms of this disease are pain in the upper upper quadrant of the abdomen, fever and low blood pressure.
cholangiohepatititis, primary sclerotizing cholangitis (PSC) and ascending cholangitis are some of the types of this infection. In cholagiohepatitis, one experiences repeated attacks on cholangitis. It is combined with intrahepatic biliary obstruction and intrahepatic pigment stones. "Intrahepatic" means they affect the structures inside the liver.
in PSC, Bile Ducts swelling is progressive. This can lead to obstruction and damage to the bile ducts inside Ioutside the liver. A person suffering from ascending cholangitis experiences infection of bile ducts as a result of bacteria that rises from the point where it intersects with the duodenum. It will probably have jaundice, abdominal pain or fever.
Person with symptoms of cholangitis is likely to have to undergo some diagnostic tests. It may need blood tests, including blood culture, to verify whether infection, test to determine any liver dysfunction and complete blood. It may also be asked to undergo diagnostic imaging examinations such as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), cholangiography or percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC).
The results of these tests can help medical professional recognition in the bile duct system and determine the treatment course. Management of a medical case of a person suffering from cholangitis generally depends on his medical history and complicatedThose his illness. Treatment of the disease usually involves administration of antibiotics through intravenous (IV) line and restoring blood pressure to normal level, if low, and possibly surgery if there is a block in the bile system.
In general, the person in his 50 is endangered by cholangitis. On the other hand, a person who had gallstones has a greater risk of having a disease. It is advisable for a person who is considered to be endangered regularly to see a doctor for checking.