Chapter 4 Flashcards
What is edema?
abnormal accumulation of fluid in the interstitial space (outside of the cells) d/t disorders that disturb the function of the heart, kidneys or liver.
What is effusion?
abnormal accumulation of fluid in body cavities (potential spaces) lined with serosal membranes. These spaces include: pleural space, pericardial space, joint space and peritoneal space
What 4 places can effusion occur in?
1. Pleural space (hydrothorax)
2. Pericardial space (hydropericardium)
3. Joint space
4. Peritoneal space (hydroperitoneum; ascities)
Effusion inside the peritoneal space is called what?
Ascites
The fluids of edema and effusion can be categorized as what and can be ________ or _______.
inflammatory or noninflammatory
localized (d/t venous or lymphatic obstruction) or systemic (d/t heart failure)
What is the difference between inflammatory and non-inflammatory related edema/effusion?
Inflammation-related edema and effusion:
- protein rich (exudate) due increased vascular permeability caused by inflammatory mediators
- Typically localized to a local area, but can also be systemic when the pt has sepsis
Noninflammatory edema and effusion:
- protein poor fluid (transudate) that is common in diseases that affect the pressures of the vascular system.
- Ex. <3 failure, liver failure, renal dz, nutritional disorders.
How do we normally prevent edema and effusion?
- Normally; the balance of fluid movement is kept equal;
- an increase in hydrostatic pressure pushes fluid out or decrease in colloid osmotic pressure => increase in interstitial fluid.
- If the amount of fluid in the interstial space > lymphatic drainage
- => fluid will accumulate.
What are the causes of non-inflammatory edema (4)
- 1. Increased hydrostatic pressure
- 2. Reduced plasma oncotic pressure
- 3. Na and Water Retention (often d/t renal failure)
- 4. Lymphatic obstruction
Describe how increase hydrostatic pressure => non-inflammatory edema
Forces fluid out and is most often d/t impaired venous return (congestion). Increased hydrostatic pressure can be localized (ex DVT) or systemic (CHF; causes a wide-spread increase in hydrostatic pressure). This can occur by 3 mechanisms:
- Congestion* => passive PATHOLOGICAL CONDITION where not enough blood is leaving, causing a backup of venous blood in the capillary beds => fluid leaks out.
- Na/H20 rentention => the overall volume
-
Hyperemia => active physiological arterial condition where arterial dilation=> too much oxygenated blood is arriving at the tissue => tissue turns red
- This can be controlled by pre-capillary sphincters, which maintain appropriate pressure.
What 3 mechanisms can cause increased hydrostatic pressure, which leads to edema?
- Congestion=> a passive pathological condition where blood is not leaving, causing a backup of VENOUS blood. This venous blood increases hydrostatic pressure => leaks out => edema
- Hyperemia=> a active physiological condition where too much oxygenated arterial blood is arriving in normal conditions d.t dilation. This is controlled by pre-capillary sphincters, which help to maintain app pressure. Ex. is running => incrase BF to face
- Na and H20 retention => nicreases overall volume
-
A passive pathological condition where not enough blood is leaving, causing a backup of venous blood in the capillary beds.
- As a result, fluid leaks out of the BV -> edema,
- Is this condition local or systemic?
Congestion
Can be local or system
- a physiological arterial condition where too much blood is arriving at the tissue d/t dilation -> causing tissue to turn red
- Is this condition local or systemic?
Hyperemia
Condition can be both
Describe how reduced plasma oncotic pressure => non-inflammatory edema.
- In normal circumstances, albumin accounts for almost half of the total protein in the plasma. It wants to keep fluid in.
- Decrease albumin => decrease oncotic pressure .
- Loss of albumin and decreased plasma oncotic pressure can be d/t:
Albumin helps to regulate our plasma oncotic pressure. How can we decrease these levels => non-inflammatory edema?
Altering the amount MADE (cirrhosis or protein malnutrition) or increasing the amount loss (nephrotic syndrome)
- Liver diseases (cirrhosis): not enough proteins made
- Protein malnutrition: not enough intake of proteins -> not synth new albumin
-
Kidney disease with nephrotic syndrome: too many proteins lost through filtration.
*
-
Kidney disease with nephrotic syndrome: too many proteins lost through filtration.
What is the process that causes non-inflammatory edema if we have a decrease in plasma oncotic pressure?
- 1. Proteins are lost
- 2. Net movement of fluid into the tissue (interstitiam) from the blood
- 3. Decrease renal perfusion => + RAAS system
- 4. Attempts to hold onto Na+ and water, however, this cannot correct the deficit because we have a deficit of proteins
Describe how Na+ and water retention can cause non-inflammatory edema?
Causes BOTH: increase hydrostatic pressure and decreased osmotic pressure
- Disease => Decrease renal perfusion => activation of RAAS system =>
- Increased salt retention: increases volume of vascular system, which increase the hydrostatic pressure AND decrease in the plasma colloid pressure d/t dilution.
- Activation of RAAS system is good at first to improve CO and restore normal perfusion. However, as the <3 worsens, Na+ and water retention => edema and effusion
Describe how lymphatic obstruction can cause non-inflammatory edema?
-
Trauma, fibrosis, invasive tumors, and microbes => lymphatic obstruction => lymphedema
- Lymph system cannot to take up the fluid => LOCALIZED EDEMA called lymphedema
Lymphedema can be seen in what 2 conditions?
-
Filariasis (helminth infection/Wucheria): round worm infection that causes unilateral localized lymphedema.
- Obstructive fibrosis => edema of the external genitalia and lower limbs that can be very extreme and called elephantiasis.
- In the U.S, unilateral lymphedema is most commonly seen in breast cancer patients who have received axillary LN removal.
- Causes severe edema of the area (arm) that the LN drained
-
What is the morphology of edema?
- What do the organs look like?
-
What is the morphology of edema?
- Subcutaneous edema
- Pulmonary edema
- Brain edema
Organs will look large and heavy
Describe subcutenaous edema.
Subcutaneous edema can be diffuse or it can occur in _areas with high hydrostatic pressur_e.
- Hydrostatic pressure => influenced by gravity (thus, called dependent edema)
- When standing => hydrostatic pressure is greatest in legs => edema in legs
- When laying down => hydrostatic pressure is greatest in sacrum => edema in sacrum
Pressure over subcutaneous edema can leave a depression called pitting edema.
Subcutaneous edema raise what suspicions for the doctor from the patient?
- 1. Cardiac disease
- 2. Renal disease
- When significant, it can impair [wound healing and clearance of infection].
Describe how cardiac failure can cause edema.
- Cardiac failure can cause pitting edema, pulmonary edema and pulmonary effusion
- . In <3 failure, we see a decrease in pumping activity of the heart;
- Congestion in the lungs d/t left ventricular failure -> congestion in pulmonary venous circulation -> backflow of blood-> pulmonary edema and pleural effusion
- Fluid collects in the alveoli septa and around capillaries and impedes O2 diffusion. Edema fluid in alveolar spaces creates a favorable environment for bacterial infection.
- In pulmonary edema, the lungs are 2-3X their normal weight and will give off a suctioned fluid that is frothy and a mixture or air, edema, and RBCs
- Pulmonary effusion often accompany pulmonary edema and can compromise gas exchange by compressing pulmonary parenchyma.
- Increases capillary hydrostatic pressure -> edema
- Decrease in blood to kidneys -> + RAAS -> retention of Na+ and H20 -> increase in blood volume -> increases hydrostatic pressure and decreases oncotic pressure -> edema
- Congestion in the lungs d/t left ventricular failure -> congestion in pulmonary venous circulation -> backflow of blood-> pulmonary edema and pleural effusion

Describe how renal failure can cause edema.
Renal failure can cause edema in two ways:
- Retention of Na+ and water -> increases in blood volume -> increase in intravascular hydrostatic pressure ->edema
- Nephrotic syndrome -> glomerulus are damaged, causing an excess of protein loss in the urine -> decreases oncotic pressure -> edema
- Edema from renal failure initially appears in parts of the body that contains loose CT: like the eyelids (periobital edema) and is a characteristic sign.

Pt John comes in with begining renal failure. Where is the first place he will begin to see edema?
Renal failure => hypoproteinemia => parts of his body w/ loose CT, such as his eyes (periorbital edema).
