Colloid osmotic pressure and serum albumin following surgery.

The fall in serum albumin which occurs after operation can be modified by an intraoperative infusion of 20 g salt-poor human albumin, and the associated fall in colloid osmotic pressure is also corrected. There is a decrease in postoperative oliguria following a colloid infusion but no significant effect has been demonstrated on urinary sodium excretion. Th alteration of fluid and electrolyte metabolism after surgery does not appear to be a direct effect of lowered plasma colloid osmotic pressure. It is suggested that the effect of intraoperative albumin infusion is predominantly haemodynamic.