This site is intended for healthcare professionals

account_circleSign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Oedema

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

This is an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the intercellular spaces of the body. It results from disruption to the physiology of capillary or lymphatic exchange by, for example:

  • increased capillary hydrostatic pressure secondary to:
    • an elevation of blood pressure at the arterial end of the capillary
    • an increase in venous pressure at the venous end of the capillary e.g. heart failure
  • an increase in capillary permeability with exudate of intravascular proteins e.g. in acute inflammation
  • decreased intercellular lymphatic drainage

Ultimately, exceedingly elevated intercellular pressures may result in spread of fluid into the next available compartment as in pulmonary oedema and ascites.

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page