Pilot Research Study to Asses Total Body Albumin Levels

Twenty adult individuals underwent a standard blood volume measurement. The specimens for this determination are normally collected over a period of approximately 40 minutes. For the determination of total body albumin, additional specimens were collect over a three to four day period until the counts in the blood specimens were stable. Calculation of the degree of dilution over this time interval is thought to represent dilution of the tracer in albumin in both the intra and extravascular space. The ratio of albumin in the intravascular to the extravascular space is available in the medical literature. The total volume in which the tracer is distributed can be determined from the dilution determined. A calculation of total body albumin is therefore possible. Computation of the total body albumin for the test subjects (all normal individuals) was consistent with values for total body albumin in the literature. The purpose of the development of this method is to permit clinicians to determine albumin status in patients with disturbances in albumin such as burn patients, cirrhotic patients, nephrotic patients as well as patients with protein losing gastroenteropathies.