Monday, June 20, 2016

Symptoms of Organ Failure

Symptoms of Organ Failure

The condition of organ dysfunction occurs when an organ deviates from the function it is intended to perform. An organ dysfunction condition becomes organ failure when the normal homeostasis can be maintained only with the intervention of external clinical help. There are many symptoms of major organ failures as well as multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.






Symptoms of Major Organ Failures







Liver Failure


Symptoms


Chronic Liver Failure (Cirrhosis)


Fatigue


Yellowing of the skin


Excessive weakness


Easy bruising


A great loss of appetite


Edema and Ascites – the retention has a tendency to accumulate beneath the tissues of the legs and ankles


Spontaneous bacterial Peritonitis (SBP) – infection takes place in the ascites (abdominal cavity) and abdomen


Esophageal Varices bleeding


Liver Cancer


Acute Liver Failure



Yellowing of eyeballs and skin


Nausea


Constant pain in upper abdomen


Sleepiness


Weakening of concentration power


Bleeding disorders – the liver does not produce sufficient levels of clotting ingredients; thus the body has difficulty in controlling bleeding


Cerebral edema


Kidney Failure


Infections – there is an increased risk of infection in the patient’s brain and urinary and respiratory tracts










Kidney Failure


Symptoms


Chronic Kidney Failure



Nausea


Fatigue and loss of appetite


Swelling of the ankles and feet


High Blood Pressure


Pain in chest


Anemia


Fluid retention, which leads to swelling in legs and arms, accompanied by high blood pressure


Decreased sexual appetite


Complications in pregnancy and risk to the fetus


Weakness in bones


Decrease in immunity


Acute Kidney Failure



Fatigue and drowsiness


Pain in chest


A decline in the urine output


Fluid retention leading to swelling in the ankles, feet, and legs


Excessive pain in the chest because of the inflammation of the lining covering the heart


A shortness of breath due to the fluid build-up in the chest


Weakness in muscles due to the bodily fluids imbalance


A risk of death is also present







Lung Failure


Symptoms


Obstruction to the air path


Weakness in muscles


Lung diseases such as Pneumonia are a common side effect that accompanies lung failure







Heart Failure


Symptoms


Shortness of breath


Fatigue


Loss of appetite


Increased heart rate










Brain Failure


Symptoms


Chronic Brain Failure (Alzheimer's Dementia)



Loss of memory – forget what they learned a few minutes before and is no longer to accurately relate information or details about events


Trouble driving, working, or completing any other routine task


A loss of dates, time, and season takes place


Unable to process events currently taking place


Experience difficulty participating in conversation


Simply stop in the middle of a thought


Acute Brain Failure (Delirium)


Consciousness gets disturbed


Reduction in the ability to focus


Problems related to memory, perception, and orientation takes place


Stress increases



Symptoms of Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome
There are two ways of describing organ dysfunction in a critically ill patient:


(1) The clinical intervention that was organized to maintain the failing organ system.


(2) The acute physiologic impairment that caused a need for support.


More complex systems have recently been developed that focus on quantifying the organ dysfunction on a numerical scale, rather than mechanical quantity. Though systems vary, each focuses on the same six organ systems to characterize MODS: cardiovascular, hepatic, respiratory, renal, hematologic, and neurologic. There are minor variables in the various systems, including selected parameters as well as weighting and timing placed on each selected variable.


Apart from the above mentioned organ failures, there are certain other failures which lead to MODS.


Neurologic Failure
Neurologic failure takes place due to a great reduction in the Glasgow Coma Score, which is reflected by an alteration in the level of consciousness


Hematologic Failure
The hematologic failure can take place due to Leucocytosis – a response to acute stress or a mild anaemia which results from the suppression of bone marrow.


Immunologic Failure
Immunologic failure occurs due to the abnormalities which take place in both specific and non-specific immune functions within the infected person’s body. It can also alter the production of antibodies.


Metabolic Failure
The metabolic failures and endocrine abnormalities are also evident during the MODS. The relative resistance of insulin is readily detected and often discovered.

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