disuse atrophy
Mr. Wallace: My father has been in bed in the hospital since last month. He is getting so thin, and it seems that his muscles are getting weak.
Doctor Kamil: This is a common problem. If someone is bedridden, they can get weak through disuse atrophy. We have nurses and physiotherapists helping them exercise so that they don't lose too much body mass.
Explanation: The term "disuse atrophy" means the weakening of muscles and the loss of weight that occurs when a patient has to stay in bed for a number of days. A patient can lose even 1% of their body mass per day.
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