7. Body Cavity Fluids And CSF

Question 1

What are the different body cavities?

Answer 1

Abdominal cavity (peritoneal)
Thoracic cavity (pleural)
Pericardial cavity

Question 2

Causes of the accumulation of fluids is different cavities

Answer 2

1. Increased permeability of vessels due to the underlining non inflammatory causes:
   - increase of hydrostatic pressure of the blood
   - decrease of plasma colloid oncotic pressure
2. Increased permeability of vessels due to inflammatory causes:
   - bacterial toxins
   - viral effects
   - parasitic toxins
   - inflammatory mediators

Question 3

Causes of increase of hydrostatic pressure of the blood

Answer 3

(impeded blood flow - backward stasis)

• right sided heart failure
• liver hypertension, failure, cirrhosis blockage of a blood vessel
• renal fibrosis

Question 4

Causes of decrease of plasma colloid oncotic pressure decrease of plasma albumin

Answer 4

Decrease of plasma globulin:

• type and quantity of protein intake
• gastric, pancreatic (EPI), intestinal digestion (specific intestinal diseases), absorption ((specific intestinal diseases)),
• synthesis (liver failure),
• utilisation (growth, pregnancy, work, exercise, tumour)
• loss (renal - glomerulonephropathy, intestinal-protein loosing enteropathy)

Question 5

Types of fluids

Answer 5

• transudate (hydro-)
• exudate (pyo-)
• modified transudate
• blood
• chylus (lymph)

Question 6

Samples of body cavity fluids

Answer 6

• sterile environments
• into glass tube (in order to evaluate coagulation ability)
• Na(K)2EDTA

Question 7

Course of sample analysis and preparation

Answer 7

-organoleptic examination
-Rivalta-test
-analysis of total and nucleated cell count (by using automatic cell counters or
haemocytometer)
-centrifuging
-separating upper layer for further biochem analysis
-separation of sediment for cytological analysis

Question 8

Parameters determined from body cavity fluids

Answer 8

• outlook physical parameters (colour, odour, consistency)
• Rivalta-test
• coagulation ability
• specific gravity
• pH
• red blood cell count
• nucleated cell count
• total protein concentration
• albumin/globulin ratio
• creatinine, urea concentration
• alpha-amylase, lipase activity
• LDH activity
• triglycerol, cholesterol concentration
• cytological analysis

Question 9

Rivalta test

1. Solution used
2. Result change
3. What does it meen when the sample is honey-like?

Answer 9

1. Acetic acid solution
2. If coagulation (smokey appearance)=exudate. If no coag., but sample is dissolved into solution=transudate
3. Contains a lot of globulins

Question 10

Transudate: 
1. Outlook:
A.Colour
B. Odour
C.Consistency
2. Rivalta test
3. Coagulation ability
4. Specific gravity
5. pH
6. Nucleated cell count
7. Total protein

Answer 10

1. Outlook:
A.Colour: bloody (hairy failure, stasis of vessels)/yellow(liver failure)
B. Odour: no smell
C.Consistency: water
2. Rivalta test: -
3. Coagulation ability: -
4. Specific gravity: <1.017 g/ml
5. pH: slightly alkaline or 7
6. Nucleated cell count: <1-10 x10^9/L
7. Total protein: <25g/l

Question 11

Modified transudate
1. Outlook:
A.Colour
B. Odour
C.Consistency
2. Rivalta test
3. Coagulation ability
4. Specific gravity
5. pH
6. Nucleated cell count
7. Total protein

Answer 11

1. Outlook:
A.Colour: bloody/opaque/grey-white/reddish/yellowish/sometimes transparent
B. Odour: sometimes
C.Consistency: watery/slightly viscous
2. Rivalta test: +/-
3. Coagulation ability: +/-
4. Specific gravity: 1.017-1.025 g/ml
5. pH: slightly alkaline, acidic or 7
6. Nucleated cell count: 10-50 x10^9/L
7. Total protein25-36g/L

Question 12

Exudate
1. Outlook:
A.Colour
B. Odour
C.Consistency
2. Rivalta test
3. Coagulation ability
4. Specific gravity
5. pH
6. Nucleated cell count
7. Total protein

Answer 12

1. Outlook:
A.Colour: generally opaque/bloody/grey-white/yellow-white/light brown
B. Odour: often penetrating
C.Consistency: often viscous
2. Rivalta test: +
3. Coagulation ability: +
4. Specific gravity: >1.025 g/ml
5. pH: acidic
6. Nucleated cell count: >50
7. Total protein: >35

Question 13

Albumin/globulin ratio - how to measure

Answer 13

Generally TP and albumin concentration is measured, the difference gives globulin concentration

Question 14

Why is albumin/globulin ratio important for cat samples

Answer 14

If it is more than 50% of TP and globulins, it is highly suggestive for FIP infection

Question 15

Creatinine, urea concentration: what can it state?

Answer 15

If the values of these are higher in peritoneal fluid than in plasma, it is highly suggestive for urine bladder rupture, or the rupture of kidney pelvis, or one of the urethers.

Question 16

Alpha-amylase, lipase activity: what can it state?

Answer 16

If the values of these are higher in peritoneal fluid than in plasma, it is highly suggestive for duodenal perforation or gall bladder rupture, or the rupture of an abscess developed by pancreatitis. The determination of these parameters is required if there is marked perionitis, otherwise the elevation of these values can be expected in case of urine bladder rupture, too. If the sample is derived from the pleural cavity and it is highly inflammatory, and there is high alpha-amylase activity in it, it is suggestive for esophageal rupture.