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Pitting
Edema
- To assess edema
apply pressure over bony prominence
- In ambulatory
patients, assess ankle, forefoot and shin
- In non-ambulatory
patients, use sacrum
- Indentation lasting
greater than 5 minutes considered pitting edema
- Severity described
on scale from 0-4
- Indicative of sodium
/ water retention or right sided heart failure
- Bilateral dependent
edema (lower limbs) seen in heart failure or venous insufficiency
- Unilateral edema
usually due to local etiolology
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