[Ethical approach to severe dementia].

General principles of medical ethics are discussed in the context of care for patients with severe dementia.

[Hypoalbuminemia and invalidating edema in an elderly subject: treatment with parenteral albumin infusion].

Many factors can lead to edema. Hypoalbuminemia and the inability of the renal distal tubule to excrete salt are a common cause of edema, that can be due to a defect of albumin synthesis or malnutrition, kidney disease, protein-losing enteropathy, or increased protein catabolism. Hypoalbuminemia is frequent amongst elderly people.