What test should the nurse prepare the client for that will locate stones in the common bile duct?

• A. Colonoscop y
• B. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
• C. Abdominal x-ray
• D. Cholecystectomy

Answer: (B)

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography directly visualizes the biliary ducts by threading a scope into the duodenum and using contrast with X-ray imaging, which lets you see stones blocking the common bile duct. This test not only identifies the presence and location of stones but often allows immediate treatment, such as stone removal or a sphincterotomy, in the same procedure.

Colonoscopy examines the colon and doesn’t provide access to the biliary tree, so it won’t locate CBD stones. An abdominal X-ray can miss many CBD stones because they are often radiolucent and not seen unless there are obvious calcifications or complications. Cholecystectomy is surgical removal of the gallbladder and does not diagnose stones in the common bile duct; it’s a treatment for gallbladder disease after CBD stones are identified.

So ERCP is the appropriate test for locating stones in the common bile duct and can also address them therapeutically during the same session.