Unit 2: Changes in Blood flow and body fluid balance Flashcards
fluid pressure balance in normal tissues
hydrostatic pressure and oncotic pressure are balanced and near 0
- contribute little to fluid exchange
fluid pressure in normal capillaries: venous end
vein end: vascular hydrostatic pressure (fluid out) < vascular oncotic pressure (fluid in)
- this drives fluid back into blood vessels, carrying away the metabolic waste byproducts
what is osmosis
the tendency of a fluid to move from a solution of lesser concentration to one of greater concentration when 2 solutions are separated by a semipermeable membrane
what is oncotic pressure (colloid osmotic pressure)
osmotic pressure that is exerted by proteins within the plasma portion of blood
- pressure draws water into vessels and hence circulatory system
what is hydrostatic pressure
pressure of water influenced by…
- the activity of the heart as a pump
- the elasticity and recoil of blood vessels
- the quantity of blood within a vessel
what is the result of increased hydrostatic pressure (or diminished plasma osmotic pressure)
extravascular fluid accumulation (edema)
what is ultrafiltrate
fluid which has passed out of the normal capillary containing water, salts and small organic molecules
- excludes large protein molecules in the blood
what happens to remaining ultra filtrate that does not return to the capillary (and small proteins that may have also moved out)
they drain from the tissue via the lymphatic system, the lymphatic vessels drain into the bloodstream
- SO the fluid does return to the bloodstream, just not at the level of the capillary bed
what is edema
accumulation of excess fluid in extracellular spaces
where does edema occur
can occur in any tissue but most easily seen in the skin and associated subcutaneous tissues
what is localized edema
the result of a localized disturbance of the fluid exchange mechanism in the tissue
- e.g. bug bite
what is pitting edema
edema of the skin
- if focal pressure is applied to the edema area, a small focal depression or pit will be produced - pressure forced fluid out of the area
what is generalized edema
excess fluid is seen in many tissues
- e.g. congestive heart failure
what is effusion
when tissue fluid accumulates in body cavities such as the pleural space, pericardial sac of the peritoneal cavity
What is ascites
a watery effusion in the peritoneal (abdominal) cavity
what is anasarca
massive edema of the whole body, including body cavities
what is the pleural space
the space between the surface of the lungs and the pleura lining the chest wall
what is the pericardial sac
the membraneous sac that surrounds the heart, separating it from the adjacent lungs
what is the peritoneal cavity
the abdominal cavity, limited by the diaphragm, the abdominal walls and the pelvic floor
- contains the abdominal organs
normal state of the major body cavities
- contain only a small amount of fluid
- prevents friction between adjacent serosal or pleural surfaces
what happens in an abdominal (peritoneal) effusion
abdominal contents are surrounded by a reddish watery fluid (instead of a small amount of clear fluid like in normal)
dog example - signs of localized edema
- swelling of limb
- swelling is the same temperature as skin
- feeling of a firm mass
what happens with obstructed venous drainage of the capillary bed
- hydrostatic force at the venular end of the capillary bed would be increased
- fluid leaves capillaries normal at the arteriole end (HP>OP) but cannot return to capillaries at veinous end
- HP still exceeds OP therefore fluid remains in tissue spaces as edema
what determines the extent of edema that occurs with venous obstruction
- size of vessel obstructed
- how completely it is obstructed
- extent of collateral venous circulation
what is the lymphatic system responsible for
- removing the small protein molecules which leave the capillaries normally
- removing small amounts of fluid that do not return to the capillaries via the oncotic pressure
venous obstruction vs lymphatic obstruction and edema
venous = immediate
lymphatic = over time
stages of lymphatic obstruction edema
- initially small amounts of fluid remain in interstitium
- accumulation of small molecules overtime leads to increased tissue colloid oncotic pressure (favours fluid remaining in the tissue spaces)
- pull of oncotic pressure is not sufficient to move fluid back into the capillaries
what happens if lymphatic obstruction edema persists
the oedematous tissue may undergo fibrosis - affected area becomes firm and thickened
causes of localized edema
- venous obstruction
- lymphatic obstruction
- acute inflammation
- acute allergic reactions
how does localized edema form from acute inflammation and acute allergic reactions
- increase in capillary permeability allows fluid and plasma proteins to move out of the capillaries and into the tissues
why does someone with congestive heart failure have swelling or pitting edema of the legs and ankles?
- heart fails as a forward pump
- venous blood “backs up” in systemic circulation
- fluid gradually builds up in interstitial as it cannot move back up
what is dependent edema
edema in dependent parts of the body such as the lower legs and ankles because of effects of gravity
dependent edema in case of right sided heart failure
fluid will collect in the sacral region of the back and the buttocks
what happens with left-sided heart failure (failure to pump oxygenated blood to tissues)
- decreased cardiac output
- increased hydrostatic pressure in pulmonary vessels
- lungs become edematous (retain fluid)
what happens when hydrostatic pressure is increased in pulmonary circulation
fluid leaves the capillaries but there is not much interstitial space for it to collect in, so fluid moves into the alveolar spaces
what is pulmonary edema
fluid moves into the alveolar space - interferes with gas exchange in the lungs and makes it difficult to breath
what is Dyspnea
- shortness of breath (due to pulmonary edema)
- in mid failure: only occurs with exertion
- in severe failure: occurs at rest
- more pronounced when lying down
signs and symptoms of pulmonary edema
- non-productive cough
- wheezing (due to bronchospasm initiated by high left atrial pressures)
- extreme shortness of breath
frothy blood-tinged fluid in the airways
what can cause congestive heart failure
anything which decreases cardiac output…
- decreasing contractility of heart muscles
- causing mechanical abnormality
- increased resistance to forward outflow
- electrical disturbance (arrhythmias)
what plays a major role in the volume of pulmonary edema
sodium and water retention by the body
how does left-sided heart failure lead to sodium and water retention
- decreased “forward” cardiac output from left ventricle
- decreased blood flow to the kidneys
- decreased glomerular filtration pressure
- renin production in the kidneys (leading to renin-angiotensin system)
- system results in sodium and water retention
renin-angiotensin system
- decreased blood flow to kidneys
- decreased glomerular filtration rate
- increased renin production by juxtaglomerular apparatus
- renin increases angiotensin release
- angiotensin converted to angiotensin II which increases aldosterone production by adrenal cortex
- leads to increased sodium retention
Aldosterone results in retention of salt and water within the blood which in turn…
- increases blood volume (and vascular hydrostatic pressure)
- decreased vascular oncotic pressure by diluting blood albumin
what is hypoproteinemia
- low levels of serum protein
what are the major causes of generalized edema
- hypoproteinemia
- congestive heart failure
- renal failure
- hypoalbuminemia
low levels of albumin
- decreases the plasma osmotic pressure
- leads to sodium and water retention (attempt to increase vascular volume) - ultimately decreases albumin further due to dilution
common result of heart failure and hypoproteinemia
decrease glomerular filtration - lead to sodium and water retention - worsening edema
Causes of hypoproteinemia
- low serum protein: insufficient dietary protein, decreased albumin synthesis, increased loss of albumin
- albumin and globins
- nephrotic syndrome: due to disease of the glomerulus in the kidney
what is a syndrome
a set of symptoms that occur together - not a specific disease
effect of effusions in the pleural and pericardial space
- restricts the expansion of the lungs - leads to dyspnea
- restricts filling of the heart - leads to decreased cardiac output
what may lead to cerebral (brain) edema
- head trauma
- cerebral vascular accidents
- infections
- tumours
cerebral edema
- pressure within the cranium leads to headache
- as pressure increases parts of the brain are forces to herniate down
plasma vs serum
plasma: fluid part of the blood in which blood cells are suspended - composed of water, electrolytes and protein
serum: fluid that remains after blood has been allowed to clot in a tube - fibrinogen id depleated
what is a hemorrhage
presence of blood in the interstitial tissues, within a body cavity, or externally
what is petechiae
small pinpoint focal hemorrhage
what is purpura
multiple 3-5mm sized, oval to irregularly shaped hemorrhages
what are ecchymoses (bruises)
large areas of heorrhage
what is hematoma
a large blood blister - area where blood has pooled within the tissue
what is a cause of petechiae
lack of sufficient numbers of platelets
what are hemoperitoneum, hemothorax and hemoperricardium (respectively)
hemorrhage into the peritoneal, pleural and pericardial spaces
what is hyphema
hemorrhage into the fluids within the eye
why is hemoperricardium particularly problematic
if enough blood accumulates within the enclosed pericardial space, the pressure of that blood can reach an equilibrium with to even overcome the BP of the heart - causes collapse of the right atrium and ventricle
what happens if the chambers of the heart collapse
blood can no longer enter the chambers and acute heart failure ensures
what is spontaneous hemorrhage
hemorrhage without trauma, such as excessive bleeding after a skin wound or following surgery
- can occur from nose, gums, lungs etc.
what is epistaxis
spontaneous nose bleeds