Which components make up the Charcot triad?

Which components make up the Charcot triad?

• A. Fever, RUQ pain, Jaundice
• B. Nausea, vomiting, fever
• C. Weight loss, pruritus, jaundice
• D. RUQ pain, leukocytosis, fever

Answer: (A)

Charcot triad is the classic set of signs for acute cholangitis. It includes fever, right upper quadrant (RUQ) pain, and jaundice. Each component reflects part of the process: fever from infection, RUQ pain from biliary tract inflammation or distension, and jaundice from bile duct obstruction causing conjugated bilirubin buildup. When you see all three together, they strongly point to acute cholangitis, making this the best match for the question. The other options don’t form this triad. Nausea and vomiting with fever aren’t the characteristic trio, weight loss with pruritus and jaundice points more to chronic or obstructive cholestasis, and RUQ pain with leukocytosis and fever adds a lab abnormality rather than the defining trio.

Charcot triad is the classic set of signs for acute cholangitis. It includes fever, right upper quadrant (RUQ) pain, and jaundice. Each component reflects part of the process: fever from infection, RUQ pain from biliary tract inflammation or distension, and jaundice from bile duct obstruction causing conjugated bilirubin buildup. When you see all three together, they strongly point to acute cholangitis, making this the best match for the question.

The other options don’t form this triad. Nausea and vomiting with fever aren’t the characteristic trio, weight loss with pruritus and jaundice points more to chronic or obstructive cholestasis, and RUQ pain with leukocytosis and fever adds a lab abnormality rather than the defining trio.