Objective: We desired to demonstrate the utility of percutaneous cholecystostomy in the evaluation and management of critically ill burn patients with fever and rising cholestatic chemistries.
Design: Retrospective review.
Materials and methods: Over a 2 1/2-year period there were 411 admissions to a regional adult burn until of whom six patients (1.5%) were strongly suspected of having developed acute cholecystitis. Five were managed with percutaneous cholecystostomy.
Measurements and main results: All patients had sonographic signs consistent with acute cholecystitis. One was managed with immediate laparotomy and the remaining five patients underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous transhepatic cholecystostomy at the bedside (n = 4) or in the ultrasonography suite (n = 1) without complication. One patient died of multiple organ failure 3 days after catheter placement despite good catheter position and function. Two of the surviving patients responded promptly to drainage of the gallbladder with resolution of fever and normalization of liver function tests. Two patients did not respond despite catheters that were properly placed and functioning, reliably eliminating the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis. One patient underwent interval cholecystectomy after wound closure and the remaining patients were discharged after catheters were removed.
Conclusions: Bedside percutaneous cholecystostomy is a minimally invasive procedure that can facilitate the evaluation and management of the critically ill burn patient with fever and rising cholestatic chemistries in whom a diagnosis of acute cholecystitis is suspected.