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What Causes Clear Fluid Oozing From Pores On The Abdomen?
Question: My son is 45, 400+lbs and is currently in a rehab facility after an illness. He is oozing fluid from pores on the side of his abdomen. He has little appetite & what he does eat is specific to his dietary needs - heart health and diabetes. He gets rigorous PT & OT daily as well as exercises he can do while in bed or wheelchair. He has been in rehab 4 weeks & has lost no weight. I don't understand the profuse oozing & lack of weight loss. Are the 2 connected?
Brief Answer:
Thoughts on this
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
Without being able to examine your son's wound, it isn't possible for me to say specifically what the oozing is from but I have some thoughts on this.
As he has diabetes, and it would be unlikely to be able to have it under good control given his weight, he is more at risk of infection and for poor wound healing. He may have an access, or other infection, or a wound that is not healing. This could account for the discharge. Excessive weight to the degree you described can also increase the chance of skin breakdown and infections too.
It's also possible that there is, for some reason, increased pressure in an area which is causing a transudate (clear fluid) to leak out of the blood vessels/tissue.
If he is retaining fluid, that could account for the lack of weight loss.
Another possibility for the failure to lose weight is that the actual number of calories he is taking in are not creating a deficit enough to lose weight (even if it is fewer calories than he used to take in per day), although I think this may be lower on the list of probabilities if he is not eating much.
I don't know what illness he is recovering from which may contribute to the issue. But it would be reasonable to check a complete blood count to see if there are signs of infection that might be causing the oozing or possible water retention.
Thoughts on this
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
Without being able to examine your son's wound, it isn't possible for me to say specifically what the oozing is from but I have some thoughts on this.
As he has diabetes, and it would be unlikely to be able to have it under good control given his weight, he is more at risk of infection and for poor wound healing. He may have an access, or other infection, or a wound that is not healing. This could account for the discharge. Excessive weight to the degree you described can also increase the chance of skin breakdown and infections too.
It's also possible that there is, for some reason, increased pressure in an area which is causing a transudate (clear fluid) to leak out of the blood vessels/tissue.
If he is retaining fluid, that could account for the lack of weight loss.
Another possibility for the failure to lose weight is that the actual number of calories he is taking in are not creating a deficit enough to lose weight (even if it is fewer calories than he used to take in per day), although I think this may be lower on the list of probabilities if he is not eating much.
I don't know what illness he is recovering from which may contribute to the issue. But it would be reasonable to check a complete blood count to see if there are signs of infection that might be causing the oozing or possible water retention.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for your answer. In your 1st line you mentioned the inability to examine his wound. There is no wound - clear fluid is oozing from his skin/pores. Although usually clear, at times there is some discoloration. The Dr at rehab is usually willing to take my considerations into account. Last week when discussing his weight I had asked him to do blood check to see if there was a thyroid issue, he did and there is a borderline thyroid problem. I will now ask him to check a complete blood count for signs of infection. Any other thoughts/suggestions you might suggest I take up with Dr would be greatly appreciated.
Brief Answer:
Thoughts on this
Detailed Answer:
If there is no wound, and given his weight, this could be lymphedema. If the lymphatic system is unable to return fluid from the tissues properly (and the risk for this is significantly increased with excess weight) then it can weep out of the skin due to increased pressure. If he is mostly lying in bed, particularly on his side, that may be contributing to it.
Treatment is to try to resolve the underlying problem, with weight loss, decreasing pressure in the area, and sometimes compression, although that may be more helpful when lymphedema is in an extremity.
Again, without being able to examine him and know his full medical history, it is hard for me to say, but these are some ideas.
It's possible the borderline thyroid abnormality (I'm assuming hypothyroidism) may be the reason, or part of the reason, for failure to lose weight.
Thoughts on this
Detailed Answer:
If there is no wound, and given his weight, this could be lymphedema. If the lymphatic system is unable to return fluid from the tissues properly (and the risk for this is significantly increased with excess weight) then it can weep out of the skin due to increased pressure. If he is mostly lying in bed, particularly on his side, that may be contributing to it.
Treatment is to try to resolve the underlying problem, with weight loss, decreasing pressure in the area, and sometimes compression, although that may be more helpful when lymphedema is in an extremity.
Again, without being able to examine him and know his full medical history, it is hard for me to say, but these are some ideas.
It's possible the borderline thyroid abnormality (I'm assuming hypothyroidism) may be the reason, or part of the reason, for failure to lose weight.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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