What are the expected outcomes for someone who has been diagnosed with a 4+ pitting edema?

Answer by  Christian9247 (5042)

Without proper medical care you could have a short life span. With that much excess fluid in your body a large strain could be placed on your heart. This stage is a serious Kidney problem which needs addressing! Not only the heart but other organs could be affected by this.

Answer by  elynne (1153)

Without help from adoctor in the near future, you could have a short life span. That much excess fluid in your body would be putting quite a strain on your heart and could lead to death. 4+ edema is a sign of serious problems with your kidneys and heart function

Answer by  kdem (551)

The first thing they need to find out is what is causing the edema. It could have been a trauma to the area or congestive heart failure.

Answer by  jsmith (2067)

The outcomes will vary from completely benign to potentially life-threatening, it all depends on the source of the edema. For example, the edema could be caused by a small obstruction in a vein that will resolve on its own. Alternatively, it could be a sign of right heart failure.

Answer by  angelac (23)

To know the outcome of this diagnosis you will first need to know what caused the edema. Such causes could be lymph edema, deep vein thrombosis, or congestive heart failure to name the main ones. If the cause is Congestion Heart Failure then with the proper diet and medicine it is somewhat controllable.

Answer by  Moma123 (1043)

4+ pitting edema indicates excessive fluid retention in the interstitial spaces between the tissues and the skin. It is caused primarily due to problems with vital organs of the body, which includes heart, liver and kidneys. The malfunctioning of any of the vital organs can cause pitting edema.

Answer by  symphonyparis (493)

That does not sound good for that patient. This causes a depression in the tissues due to constant and consistent pressure.