Effusions Flashcards
What is an effusion?
an increased amount of fluid in the abdominal or thoracic cavity. indicates a pathologic process either affecting fluid production or removal
What is fluid regulated by?
hydrostatic pressure
colloid osmotic pressure
capillary wall permeability
lymphatic drainage
Small animal normal fluid?
very low volume, cant use diagnostically
clear, straw colour
protein 25 - 30 g/L
TNCC < 3 x10^9 / L
What does TNCC stand for?
total nucleated cell count
What is a transudate?
from a passive process water like SG < 1.018 TP < 25 g/L TNCC < 0.5 x 10^9 / L mesothelial cells, macrophages, few normal neutrophils
What is a modified transudate?
yellow to serosangious, cloudy SG 10.18 - 1.030 TP 25 - 50 g/L TNCC 0.3 - 5.5 x10^9 / L mesothelial cells, macrophages, non-degenerate neutrophils, small lymphocytes
What is chylous effusion?
A type of modified transudate
opaque and milky
Triglycerides higher than serum
What is an exudate?
turbid , red/yellow/white
SG > 1.018
TP >30g/L
TNCC > 3.0 x 10^9 /L
neutrophils, macrophages, lymphocytes, eosinophils
from infl of the pleural / abdominal cavity or their lining or neoplasia
can be septic or non septic
Haemorrhagic effusion?
Turbid and red
SG 1.025 - 1.040
TP > 30g/L
TNCC 1.5 - 10 x 10^9 / L (higher than blood = infl also)
wbc, rbc, macrophages
Differentiate between iatrogenic (platelet clumps), ongoing (platelets), acute(erythrophagia) and chronic (siderophages, haemosiderin)
3 ectopic sources of fluid in the abdomen
urine (transudate / modified transudate)
bile (modified transudate / exudate)
lipase (modified transudate / exudate)
Normal equine fluid
Can normally collect and use diagnostically
half macrophages and half non-degenerate neutrophils
‘modified transudate’
careful with plant material if acute rupture or punctured gut
