Symptom to Diagnosis - Edema Flashcards
What are the features of generalized edema?
- Bilateral leg edema
- +/- presacral edema
- Ascites
- Pleural effusion
- Pulmonary edema
- Periorbital edema
What are the general causes of generalized edema?
- Cardiovascular
- Hepatic (cirrhosis)
- Renal
- Anemia
- Nutritional deficiency
- Medications
- Refeeding edema
- Myxedema
What are the specific cardiovascular causes of generalized edema?
- Systolic or diastolic dysfunction, or both.
- Constrictive pericarditis
- Pulmonary HTN
What are the specific renal causes of generalized edema?
- Advanced renal failure of any cause
2. Nephrotic syndrome
What are the MC systemic causes of edema?
- Cardiac
- Renal
- Hepatic
What medications may cause edema?
- Antidepressants –> MAOIs
- Antihypertensives –> CCBs, hydralazine, minoxidil, beta-blockers.
- Hormones –> Estrogens/Progesterone, testosterone, corticosteroids.
- NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors.
- Rosiglitazone, pioglitazone
What are the causes of limb edema?
- Venous disease –> Obstruction/Insufficiency.
2. Lymphatic obstruction –> Primary/Secondary.
What are the main causes of venous obstruction that produces limb edema?
- DVT
- Lymphadenopathy
- Pelvic mass
What are the causes of primary lymphatic obstruction (lymphedema)?
- Congenital
2. Lymphedema praecox (onset in puberty) or tarda (onset after 20).
What are the causes of secondary lymphatic obstruction?
- Neoplasm
- Surgery (especially following mastectomy)
- Radiation therapy
- Miscellaneous (TB, recurrent lymphangitis, filariasis)
What are the main causes of localized edema?
- Burns
- Angioedema, hives
- Trauma
- Cellulitis, erysipelas
What are the most common causes of cirrhosis?
- Alcohol
- Chronic Hep B/C
- NAFLD
- Hemochromatosis
- Primary/Secondary biliary cirrhosis
Mention some less common causes of cirrhosis.
- Drugs + Toxins –> Isoniazid, methotrexate, amiodarone.
- Autoimmune hep.
- Genetic metabolic diseases (Wilson, α1-antitrypsin def., glycogen storage diseases, porphyria)
- Infections –> Schistosomiasis, echinococcosis, brucellosis.
- Cardiac
Why is there incr. risk for HCC in background of cirrhosis?
Due to regenerative activity.
What are the risk factors for developing cirrhosis in patients with chronic hep C?
- Age over 50
- Regular alcohol consumption
- Male sex
What are the risk factors for developing cirrhosis in patients with NAFLD?
- Older age
- Obesity
- Insulin resistance
- HTN
- Hyperlipidemia
What is the 5-yr mortality in cirrhosis after decompensation if transplantation is not performed?
85%
What is the gold standard in diagnosing cirrhosis?
Percutaneous liver biopsy, although due to sampling error, the sensitivity has been reported to be as low as 70-80%.
Mention some physical findings associated with chronic liver disease.
- Spider angiomata
- Palmar erythema
- Dupuytren contracture
- Gynecomastia
- Testicular atrophy
- Jaundice
- Ascites
- Peripheral edema
- Hepatomegaly
- Splenomegaly
- Caput medusae
What is the textbook presentation of ascites?
Patient complains of an inability to fasten her pants due to increasing abdominal girth, sometimes accompanied by dyspnea and edema.
What is the epidemiology of ascites?
- Develops over 5yrs in 30% of patients with compensated cirrhosis, defined as the absence of manifestations of portal HTN.
- 1-yr survival rates drop significantly once ascites develops.
Mention some major complications of ascites.
- Respiratory compromise due to compression of lung volumes.
- Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS)
- Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP)
What are the diagnostic criteria for HRS?
- Cirrhosis with ascites
- Serum creatinine >1.5 mg/dL
- Serum creatinine stays above 1.5mg/dL after at least 2 days of diuretic withdrawal and volume expansion with albumin.
- Absence of shock
- No current or recent treatment with nephrotoxic drugs.
- Absence of parenchymal kidney disease (<50 RBC/hpf, abnormalities on renal US).
What are the two types of HRS?
Type I –> ARF –> serum Cr doubles or incr. to >2.5 mg/dL in less than 2 weeks.
Type II –> Refractory ascites –> serum Cr 1.25-2.5mg/dL –> Steady or slowly progressive course.
What is the incidence of HRS in patients with cirrhosis at 1yr and at 5yrs?
18% at 1yr.
39% at 5yrs.
Mention some precipitants of type I HRS?
- Bacterial infections –> especially SBP
- GI bleeding
- Alcoholic hep
- Overdiuresis
- Large volume paracentesis
What is the basis of HRS?
Due to peripheral vasodilation –> Decr. systemic vascular resistance –> Renal arteriolar vasoconstriction –> Decr. renal blood flow –> Decr. GFR.
What is the definitive treatment for both types of HRS?
Liver transplantation.
What is the prevalence of SBP in hospitalized cirrhotic patients?
10-30% –> 1yr recurrence rate of 70%.
What is the mortality of SBP?
20%.
What is the mechanism for SBP?
Overgrowth intestinal bacteria + incr. intestinal permeability lead to movement of bacteria into mesenteric lymph nodes –> Can enter systemic circulation and colonize the ascitic fluid.
What are the 3 most common isolates in SBP?
- E.coli
- K.pneumoniae
- Pneumococci
What are the symptoms of SBP?
- Fever (50-75%)
- Abdominal pain (27-72%)
- Chills (16-29%)
- Nausea/vomiting (8-21%)
- Mental status changes (up to 50%)
- Decr. renal function (33%)
- About 13% are ASYMPTOMATIC
Mention risk factors for SBP.
- Ascitic fluid total protein level <1g/dL.
- Upper GI bleeding
- Prior episode of SBP
If more than 1 organism is cultured from the ascitic fluid, what should be considered?
Secondary peritonitis.