PERIPHERAL EDEMA

Course overview

EDEMA CAN AFFECT ANY BODY PART AND RANGE FROM LOCAL SWELLING TO FULL-BLOWN ANASARCA, DEPENDING ON THE UNDERLYING PATHOLOGY. A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF LOCAL SWELLING IS AN INSECT BITE. AN EXAMPLE OF ANASARCA CAN BE SEEN IN NEPHROTIC SYNDROME. OTHER THAN LOCALIZED EDEMA, EDEMA DOES NOT BECOME CLINICALLY APPARENT UNTIL THE INTERSTITIAL VOLUME HAS INCREASED BY 2.5 TO 3 LITERS BECAUSE THE TISSUES CONSTITUTING THE INTERSTITIUM CAN EASILY ACCOMMODATE SEVERAL LITERS OF FLUID. PERIPHERAL EDEMA IS A COMMON FINDING IN DAILY MEDICAL PRACTICE, BOTH IN OUTPATIENT AND INPATIENT SETTINGS. IT CAN VARY FROM BENIGN CONDITIONS TO SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, LIVER FAILURE, AND KIDNEY FAILURE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF PERIPHERAL EDEMA AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.