Cachexia

Description:

Cachexia — the extreme degree of exhaustion of an organism which is characterized by sharp emaciation, the general weakness, decrease of the activity of physiological processes, changes of mentality.

Cachexia symptoms:

Clinically the cachexia is shown by sharply expressed weakness, disability, sharp weight loss which is often combined with symptoms of dehydration of an organism though in some cases protein-free hypostases of hypodermic cellulose and accumulation of transudate in various perigastriums are observed. In hard cases loss of body weight can reach 50% and more. Skin of patients becomes pale or earthy-gray, flabby, wrinkled; hypodermic cellulose sharply decreases or disappears, often there are symptoms of a vitamin deficiency. Trophic changes of hair and nails are noted. Stomatitis develops, teeth quite often drop out; the intestines peristaltics is broken, persistent locks are often noted. Sexual function decreases, at women there comes the amenorrhea. The volume of the circulating blood decreases, by the ABP it is usually lowered.

The current and outcomes of a cachexia depend on the nature of the disease which caused it. Development of a cachexia at malignant tumors usually testifies to a late stage of a disease with the adverse forecast for life. At a cachexia of other etiology improvement of a condition of patients at rationally carried out therapy of a basic disease is possible.

Cachexia reasons:

Starvation or long malnutrition, damages of a gullet complicating receipt of food in a stomach, and the diseases of bodies of digestive tract proceeding with syndromes of the broken digestion and absorption of food (chronic coloenterites, a state after a resection of a stomach, a gastrectomy), psychogenic anorexia, long intoxication at chronic infectious diseases (tuberculosis, a brucellosis, etc.) and purulent processes (abscesses, the suppurated bronchiectasias, osteomyelitis), an amyloidosis, the exhausting diffusion diseases of connecting fabric (especially nodular polyarteritis), heavy heart failure, malignant tumors (a cancer cachexia), disturbances of exchange of energy at endocrine diseases, in particular insufficiency of adrenal glands, diseases of a thyroid gland can be the reasons of a cachexia.

Treatment of the Cachexia:

Treatment is directed first of all to a basic disease, but surely includes also actions for recovery of food of patients, and also careful general care of them. The diet is enriched with protein and fats, vitamins, digestible products are whenever possible used. At symptoms of the broken digestion and absorption of food appoint polyfermental drugs (festal, Pancreatinum  , etc.). For removal of patients with a cachexia from serious condition parenterally enter solutions of glucose, electrolytes, vitamins, proteinaceous hydrolyzates, amino-acid mixes. According to indications apply anabolic hormones.