Edema

Edema

by Professor Rhonda White, MSPT

​Prairie State College

​PTA Program

Multiple Choice

Fluid accumulation within a joint capsule or cavity is the definition of:

• effusion

• edema

Multiple Choice

What does DVT stand for?

• Deep-vein thrombosis

• Doppler-vein thrombosis

• Dance-vinegar thyme

• Deep-vein telemetry

Fill in the Blanks

Where are MOST DVTs located in/on a patient?

Multiple Choice

What results from a clot breaking free and travelling to the lungs?

• PA

• PE

• PT

• PTA

Multiple Choice

TRUE OR FALSE: One of the most common non-disease-related causes of edema is immobilization and inactivity

• TRUE

• FALSE

​Ruling out a DVT

​This table is used to determine the likelihood of a patient testing positive for a DVT

​Assesment of Pitting Edema

1. ​The patient may be seated or supine (record position)

2. ​Press your thumb (you can use your first and second finger as well.) firmly, but gently into the patient's skin and hold for 5 seconds

3. ​Remove the pressure and determine the depth of the indentation that remains and make note of how long it takes for the indentation to disappear

4. ​Compare your findings (see table 6-6 p.128 Fruth)

   YOU WILL NEED TO ACCURATELY RECORD YOUR FINDINGS FOR THE SKILL CHECK!

Multiple Choice

How many seconds should you hold your thumb/fingers in the skin of a patient you are assessing for pitting edema?

• 0.5 seconds

• 5.5 seconds

• 5 seconds

• 5 minutes

Fill in the Blanks

A patient you are assessing for pitting edema presents with an easily identifiable indentation of 0.5 cm in the skin of his ankle that rebounds in 10 seconds. What descriptor would you use to record your findings?

​Measurement of Edema

• ​Patient is either seated or supine

• ​Use a tape measure

• ​Select circumferential areas to measure (skill check is of the ankle)

  • ​Use bony landmarks (easy for reassessment)

  • ​Encircle the area to measure and pull firmly

  • ​Record in centimeters

  • ​Compare to uninvolved side, if present

Fill in the Blanks

A PTA is assessing a patient with a grade II ankle sprain for edema. What parameters should be included in the documentation?

​References

1. ​1. Fundamentals of Test and Measures; Fruth & Fawcett

2. ​2. Edema Assessment-Physiopedia