NREMT Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Cognitive ExamMedical EmergenciesMedium
A 45-year-old female complains of sudden onset of severe, cramping abdominal pain that started suddenly after eating a fatty meal. The pain is localized to the right upper quadrant and radiates to her right shoulder. She also reports nausea and vomiting. What is the MOST likely cause of her abdominal pain?
- AAppendicitis
- BGastroenteritis
- CCholecystitis
- DPancreatitis
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Cholecystitis
The presentation of severe, cramping right upper quadrant abdominal pain that radiates to the right shoulder, occurring after a fatty meal, along with nausea and vomiting, is classic for cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder).
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Appendicitis typically causes pain that starts periumbilically and migrates to the right lower quadrant, often accompanied by fever.
- B. Gastroenteritis usually causes diffuse abdominal cramping, diarrhea, and vomiting, not typically localized right upper quadrant pain radiating to the shoulder.
- D. Pancreatitis causes severe epigastric pain that often radiates to the back, typically exacerbated by eating, but less commonly localized to the right upper quadrant with shoulder radiation.
Cholecystitis
Inflammation of the gallbladder, often caused by gallstones blocking the cystic duct. It typically presents with acute, severe right upper quadrant pain, often radiating to the right shoulder, and is exacerbated by fatty meals.
- Triggered by fatty meals.
- Pain localized to the right upper quadrant (RUQ).
- Pain often radiates to the right shoulder or scapula.
- Accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sometimes fever.
Memory trick: Fatty Food = Gallbladder Grief!