The nurse assesses the nutritional status of a patient who has cholelithiasis an

1 -- The nurse begins with a diet history. Assess nutritional status, including diet history, height and weight, and skinfold measurements. Even though often obese, patients with gallbladder disease may have an imbalanced diet or may have specific vitamin deficiencies, particularly of the fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. Discussing strategies used to manage weight may be important in assessing causes of cholelithiasis pain, as fluctuating weight gains and losses can contribute to cholelithiasis, this is the not the priority when assessing the patient’s nutritional status. Asking if the patient has been skipping meals to decrease gallbladder pain is important, but not as important as the diet history and typically food choices.