Anasarque

Anasarca is a severe and generalized form of edema, with subcutaneous tissue swelling throughout the body. Unlike typical edema, which almost everyone will experience at some time and can be relatively benign, anasarca is a pathological process reflecting a severe disease state and can involve the cavities of the body in addition to the tissues. Can include: Periorbital edema "eye puffiness" Perioral edema Upper extremity edema Ascites Lower extremity edema Pre-tibial edema Pedal edema Can include: Impaired vision, difficulty opening eyes Shortness of breath (SOB), dyspnea on exertion (DOE), orthopnea Chest pain Extreme discomfort Debilitation Anasarca is often caused by a decreased oncotic pressure. Liver failure Kidney failure Right-sided heart failure Severe protein deficiency Nephrotic syndrome Protein-losing enteropathies Capillary leak syndrome In Hb Barts, the high oxygen affinity results in poor oxygen delivery to peripheral tissues, resulting in anasarca. It can also be caused by the administration of exogenous intravenous fluid. Anasarca is a diagnosis made clinically and differentiated from edema by extent of body involvement and severity. Whereas edema is usually graded on a mild/moderate/severe scale and usually affects one or two regions of the body, anasarca affects the entire body and is the most severe form of edema, with subcutaneous tissue swelling from head to feet. Although there is no definitive test to prove anasarca, many tests can be useful to aid in the diagnosis. Anasarca is most often seen in conjunction with a low level of albumin A research paper published in 2001 demonstrated a linkage between low-voltage electrocardiogram (ECG) (LVE) (QRS complexes of