Interstitial Edema Flashcards
What defines edema?
An excess of salt and water in the extracellular space.
Diseases associated with which organ systems is edema correlated with?
Renal, cardiac, and hepatic systems
What are the two types of edema in terms of location?
- Generalized (everywhere, first indicated by facial puffiness)
- Localized (specific parts of the body)
What are 2 pressures that increase in the body from standing for some time?
- Venous pressure
2. Capillary pressure (due to venous pressure)
Normally, the lymphatic system can do what to maintain proper fluid balance?
Take up extra interstitial fluid and return it to the vascular space.
What is a result of the pressures that accumulate from standing for long periods of time?
Increased flow to the interstitial fluid from the vascular space.
How does fluid return from the interstitial space to the vascular system through the lymph system?
Skeletal muscles to contract and compress the veins and lymphatic system in order to propel the fluid upward through the valves so that they can dump back into the heart/vascular system.
If a standing person does not contract their skeletal muscles for fluid flow, what will be the consequence?
Transduction of fluid will exceed the lymphatic return causing interstitial edema.
What is one organ that is particularly sensitive to proper fluid balance?
Lungs
How does pulmonary edema occur?
The slightest increases in hydrostatic pressure in the pulmonary system results in pulmonary edema.
What does pulmonary hypertension result in?
Pulmonary edema
How does pulmonary edema affect lung compliance?
It decreases lung compliance.
What are 2 consequences of decreased lung compliance?
- Lung inflation becomes much more difficult.
2. Gas exchange is severely impaired.
What will left-sided heart failure do to the pulmonary system?
Cause pulmonary edema do to the buildup of fluid in the pulmonary circulation (pulmonary hypertension)
What effect does right-sided heart failure have on the circulation and what is its relationship with edema? (2)
- Increases venous pressure of lower extremities and abdominal viscera.
- Fluid transduced from the hepatic and intestinal capillaries may leave the interstitial space and enter the peritoneal cavity (this condition is called ascites)
What is ascites?
When fluid transduced from the hepatic capillaries leave the interstitial space and enter the peritoneal cavity.
What is nephrotic syndrome?
Renal disease where protein is lost in the urine.
What are the consequences of nephrotic syndrome? (3)
- Decrease in plasma colloid osmotic pressure
- Decrease in ability to retain capillary fluid
- Generalized peripheral edema
How are colloid osmotic forces related to pregnancy?
Maternal plasma protein levels fall when their synthesis does not keep pace with the expanding plasma volume and the nutritional demands of the fetus. This leads to edema in the extremities.
What happens if you have protein malnutrition?
The lower capillary osmotic pressure leads to edema in the extremities.
What is one scenario opposite of decreased colloid osmotic forces that result in peripheral edema?
Dehydration, which then pulls fluid from the interstitial space into the vascular system.
When do you see reduced turgor of the interstitial space?
In dehydration. Easily noticed by pinching the skin and seeing slow elastic retraction.
Inflammation causes the release of histamines and cytokines. What do these do?
These are vasodilators.
What else are cytokines responsible for instead of vasodilation/
- Widening of the interendothelial clefts
2. A fall in the reflection coefficient (sigma)
