Lymph & Integ Flashcards
what are two different main causes of lymphedema? what’s an example of each?
(1) when lymphatic load exceeds transport capacity of the lymphatic system (ex. venous insufficiency)
(2) decreased transport capacity without increased lymphatic load (ex. lymph node removal)
what is the difference between primary and secondary lymphedema?
(1) primary: congenital or hereditary causes
(2) secondary: injury to one or more components of the lymphatic system
what is the difference between pitting, brawny, and weeping edema?
(1) pitting: soft feeling; leaves pits
(2) brawny: hard feeling; no indentation
(3) weeping: fluid leaks from cuts and sores
what is a stemmer sign? what does it indicate?
(1) on the dorsal side of the 2nd or 3rd digit, the skin is unable to be lifted or is difficult to do so
(2) indicates stage 2 or 3 lymphedema
what are the hallmarks of each stage of lymphedema?
- Stage 0: ocassional reports of heaviness; no edema and skin appears normal
- Stage 1: pitting edema; edema increases in standing and reduces with elevation
- Stage 2: hard swelling (brawny); fibrosclerotic tissues, possible (+) stemmer sign in later stage 2
- Stage 3: (+) stemmer sign, severe brawny edema, infections are common
which stage of lymphedema is the only reversible stage?
stage 1 (stage 0 is basically pre-lymphedema)
what is the pitting edema scale for both depth and time?
1+ - 0 seconds; <0.25 inches (mild)
2+ - <15 seconds; 0.25-0.5 inches (mod)
3+ - 15-30 seconds; 0.5-1 inches (severe)
4+ - >30 seconds; >1 inch (very severe)
what is the difference between lymphangitis, lymphadenitis, and lymphadenopathy?
(1) lymphaNGITIS: inflammation of lymph vessels
(2) lymphaDENITIS: inflammation of lymph nodes
(3) lymphaDENOPATHY: enlargement of lymph nodes
what is lipedema? what areas of the body does it typically affect?
(1) lipid accumulation within certain areas of the body
2) PROXIMAL areas, such as buttocks and thighs (but won’t affect feet
what is a huge difference between lipedema and lymphedema?
lipedema has NO swelling in feet, no stemmer sign, and is BILATERAL
how large would a lymph node need to be to refer a patient out?
> 1cm
what type of bandages are recommended for treatment of lymphedema?
low, short stretch bandages (NOT HIGH STRETCH)
what is the order in which manual lymphatic drainage is performed?
(1) decongest trunk FIRST
(2) decongest from PROXIMAL extremity to distal
(3) direction of flow is always towards the trunk
when performing exercises for lymphedema, what order should the exercises be performed?
proximal to distal (ex: cervical before shoulder and shoulder before elbow)
what sensation are krause end bulbs responsible for transmitting in the skin?
cold sensation (Krause = KOLD)
what sensation are meissner corpuscles responsible for transmitting in the skin?
light touch (Meissner’s LIGHT Beer)
what sensation are pacinian corpuscles responsible for transmitting in the skin?
pressure and vibration (P for pressure)