Mechanisms of oedema formation: The minor role of hypoalbuminaemia

dc.contributor.authorSteyl, C
dc.contributor.authorvan Zyl-Smit, R
dc.date.accessioned2017-05-11T13:35:32Z
dc.date.available2017-05-11T13:35:32Z
dc.date.issued2009
dc.date.updated2016-01-08T08:22:29Z
dc.description.abstractObjectives: Seriously ill patients often suffer from disorders of salt and water balance and present with clinical signs of either dehydration or oedema. The relationship of hypoalbuminaemia to oedema is complex and controversial and formed the central issue of this study. Design: Prospective study Setting: Medical wards of New Somerset Secondary Hospital, November 2004. Subjects: 50 patients admitted consecutively to the medical wards at New Somerset Hospital were evaluated. 26 males and 24 females participated. Outcome measures:. An attempt was made to correlate causes of salt and water imbalance with the clinical assessment of volume status, oedema formation, nutritional state and serum albumin levels. Results: Hypoalbuminaemia was not related to oedema in this study. From the 24 patients with serum albumin below 30 g/L, only 6 had oedema. These patients all had other abnormalities which could have resulted in the oedema: notably primary salt retention by failing kidneys, cor pulmonale and malignancy. None of the patients with serum albumin levels below 15 g/L had any signs of oedema. The combined insult of a chronic inflammatory disease and malnutrition had a marked effect on serum albumin levels. Conclusion: Significant hypoalbuminaemia was present in a substantial portion of the patients included in this study, yet oedema was detected infrequently and generally had an easily identifiable cause not related to low albumin levels. Most patients with hypoalbuminaemia presented with normal or positive water balance. This study supports the notion that hypoalbuminaemia is infrequently associated with oedema and plays a minor role in its formation.
dc.identifierhttp://dx.doi.org/10.7196/SAMJ.1723
dc.identifier.apacitationSteyl, C., & van Zyl-Smit, R. (2009). Mechanisms of oedema formation: The minor role of hypoalbuminaemia. <i>South African Medical Journal</i>, http://hdl.handle.net/11427/24273en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationSteyl, C, and R van Zyl-Smit "Mechanisms of oedema formation: The minor role of hypoalbuminaemia." <i>South African Medical Journal</i> (2009) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/24273en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationSteyl, C., & Van Zyl-Smit, R. (2009). Mechanisms of Oedema: the minor role of hypoalbuminaemia. South African Medical Journal, 99(1), 57.
dc.identifier.ris TY - Journal Article AU - Steyl, C AU - van Zyl-Smit, R AB - Objectives: Seriously ill patients often suffer from disorders of salt and water balance and present with clinical signs of either dehydration or oedema. The relationship of hypoalbuminaemia to oedema is complex and controversial and formed the central issue of this study. Design: Prospective study Setting: Medical wards of New Somerset Secondary Hospital, November 2004. Subjects: 50 patients admitted consecutively to the medical wards at New Somerset Hospital were evaluated. 26 males and 24 females participated. Outcome measures:. An attempt was made to correlate causes of salt and water imbalance with the clinical assessment of volume status, oedema formation, nutritional state and serum albumin levels. Results: Hypoalbuminaemia was not related to oedema in this study. From the 24 patients with serum albumin below 30 g/L, only 6 had oedema. These patients all had other abnormalities which could have resulted in the oedema: notably primary salt retention by failing kidneys, cor pulmonale and malignancy. None of the patients with serum albumin levels below 15 g/L had any signs of oedema. The combined insult of a chronic inflammatory disease and malnutrition had a marked effect on serum albumin levels. Conclusion: Significant hypoalbuminaemia was present in a substantial portion of the patients included in this study, yet oedema was detected infrequently and generally had an easily identifiable cause not related to low albumin levels. Most patients with hypoalbuminaemia presented with normal or positive water balance. This study supports the notion that hypoalbuminaemia is infrequently associated with oedema and plays a minor role in its formation. DA - 2009 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town J1 - South African Medical Journal LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2009 T1 - Mechanisms of oedema formation: The minor role of hypoalbuminaemia TI - Mechanisms of oedema formation: The minor role of hypoalbuminaemia UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/24273 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/24273
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationSteyl C, van Zyl-Smit R. Mechanisms of oedema formation: The minor role of hypoalbuminaemia. South African Medical Journal. 2009; http://hdl.handle.net/11427/24273.en_ZA
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Medicineen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Health Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.sourceSouth African Medical Journal
dc.source.urihttp://www.samj.org.za/index.php/samj
dc.titleMechanisms of oedema formation: The minor role of hypoalbuminaemia
dc.typeJournal Articleen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceArticleen_ZA
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