Hypoproteinemia Case Study

Hypoproteinemia Case Study

Describe all the constituents contained in plasma and their concentrations.

Plasma is a mixture of a variety of things water, proteins, nutrients, electrolytes, nitrogenous wastes, hormones, and gases. Protein is the most abundant part of plasma in regard to its weight. Plasma constitutes 55% of total blood volume (Hema-Quebec, 2019). The roles that plasma proteins play include clotting, defense against pathogens, and transport of other solutes such as iron, copper, and lipids. In addition, there are three categories of plasma proteins albumin, globulins, and fibrinogen.

Explain the liver’s role in the production of proteins.

The liver produces up to 4 grams of plasma protein per hour, containing all of the major proteins except for globulins. Albumin is one of the major proteins made by the liver, which plays an important role in regulating blood volume and its distribution of fluids in the body. Low albumin levels in the body can actually cause liver dysfunction, which is most likely what led to Betty’s diagnosis of Hepatitis C. Some of the conditions that can lead to hypoproteinemia are Hepatitis C and dietary protein deficiency.

Why would albumin be important in regulating pressure at the capillaries?

Albumin is important in regulating pressure at the capillaries because it is responsible for colloid osmotic pressure. It is also the major plasma protein that circulates in the bloodstream. Albumin makes a contribution to two physical. The properties of blood are osmolarity and viscosity. The osmolarity of blood is the total molarity of dissolved particles that cannot pass through the blood vessel wall. In order for surrounding cells to be nourished and wastes to be removed, substances must pass between the bloodstream and tissue fluid through the capillary walls.

Explain the process of fluid movement at both the arterial. And venous side of the capillary.

Fluid movement across a capillary wall is determined by osmotic pressure. The result of this is that substances leave the blood at one end of the capillary and return at the other end. Fluid movement at the arterial end is when fluid exits the capillary since the hydrostatic pressure is greater than blood colloidal osmotic pressure. The fluid then re-enters the capillary at the venous end since the capillary hydrostatic pressure is less than blood colloidal osmotic pressure.

What can Betty do to improve her situation?

Things that Betty can do to improve her situation are getting treated for her diagnosis with medication. Another possibility depending on how severe her diagnosis is would be to get a liver transplant. Things that she can also do at home would be to not drink any alcohol and avoid any medications that can cause any further damage to her liver. She can also begin to take vitamins for any nutrient deficiencies that she currently has.

References:

Blood components. Hema. (n.d.). Retrieved September 19, 2021, from https://www.hema-quebec.qc.ca/sang/savoir-plus/composants.en.html.

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Scenario/Summary

Betty was an active 24-year-old with a good job at the local University. She helped students navigate the complexities of the FAFSA application process to access monies for their educations. Betty loved her job and attended all of the graduation ceremonies as a final send-off of the students to their dream lives.

Hypoproteinemia Case Study

In September, Betty started to feel tired and had a low-grade fever. She also experienced some nausea and stomach pain. Worried that she was developing a stomach virus, she stayed at home that weekend and tried to get as much rest as possible. She turned to soft foods to decrease stomach distress. By Monday, she was feeling a little better and hoped she was on the mend.

However, later in the week, her joints started hurting, and her leg muscles were sore. She couldn’t think of anything she had done differently that would account for the muscle soreness and joint pains. She chalked that up to sleeping wrong.

A few months later, the fatigue and weakness returned, and she noticed that her hair was breaking easily and thinning and that she was developing swelling in her legs and face. She also had dry skin and craved eggs and cottage cheese. Betty couldn’t get enough of these two foods. Fearing that something serious may be wrong, Betty scheduled an appointment with her physician.

Her physician ran a battery of tests to determine that Betty was suffering from a hepatitis C virus and was experiencing hypoproteinemia. In particular, her albumin levels were low.

Based on what you’ve learned about blood flow, the liver’s role in the production of proteins, and pressure at the capillaries, address the following questions.

Deliverables

Answer the following questions and save your responses in a Microsoft Word document. Provide a scholarly resource to support your answers.

Describe all the constituents contained in plasma and their concentrations.

Explain the liver’s role in the production of proteins.

Why would albumin be important in regulating pressure at the capillaries?

Explain the process of fluid movement at both the arterial and venous sides of the capillary.

What can Betty do to improve her situation?