Description of Gallstone Patients in RSUD Tarakan Through Ultrasonography Examination

Abstract

Gallstones form from deposits of bile within the gallbladder. Gallstones can be detected via ultrasound examination to assess Murphy’s sign. Data on the incidence of gallstones in Indonesia itself is currently insufficient. This study aims to determine the profile of gallstone patients and their characteristics through  ultrasound examinations as well as their management at Tarakan Regional General Hospital. A descriptive cross-sectional study design using total sampling was applied to medical records from 2023. A sample of 97 individuals meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria was obtained. The results are presented in tables and diagrams. A total of 64 patients (66.0%) were female, and 64 patients (66.1%) were aged 40 years or older. The group with a single stone was found in 78 patients (80.8%), whilst the highest frequency was observed in patients with medium-sized stones (5–10 mm), comprising 61 patients (62.89%). It can be concluded that patients with cholelithiasis at Tarakan General Hospital are more commonly found among women aged 40 years or older with medium-sized stones. The effectiveness of ursodeoxycholic acid in 12 patients could not be evaluated due to incomplete data. Meanwhile, surgical intervention for gallstone patients is based more on the onset of complaints or clinical symptoms, rather than on the size and number of gallstones.