Where should a nurse expect to find pain in a client diagnosed with cholecystitis?

Study for the Archer Renal and Nutrition Test. Prepare with flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

In cases of cholecystitis, which is the inflammation of the gallbladder, pain is typically located in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. This is due to the anatomical position of the gallbladder, which is situated beneath the liver in the right side of the body.

Furthermore, this pain can radiate to the right shoulder or the right scapula. This phenomenon occurs because the phrenic nerve, which innervates the diaphragm, shares spinal segments with the nerves that supply the gallbladder. When the gallbladder becomes inflamed, the irritation can lead to referred pain in these areas due to the overlapping nerve pathways. Hence, the characteristic pain associated with cholecystitis manifests not only in the right upper quadrant but also extends to those areas, making the answer correct.

Other locations, such as the left upper quadrant or the center of the abdomen, would not typically be associated with cholecystitis and do not reflect the pain patterns observed in this condition.

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