Kinetics of 5% and 20% albumin: A controlled crossover trial in volunteers

Background Albumin for intravenous infusion is marketed in two concentrations, 20% and 5%, but how they compare with regard to plasma volume expansion over time is unclear. Methods In a prospective crossover study, 12 volunteers received 3 ml kg(-1) of 20% albumin and, on another occasion, 12 ml kg(-1) of 5% albumin over 30 min. Hence, equivalent amounts of albumin were given. Blood was collected on 15 occasions over 6 h. Mass balance and volume kinetics were used to estimate the plasma volume expansion and the capillary leakage of albumin and fluid based on measurements of blood hemoglobin, plasma albumin, and the colloid osmotic pressure. Results The greatest plasma volume expansion was 16.0 +/- 6.4% (mean +/- SD) with 20% albumin and 19.0 +/- 5.2% with 5% albumin (p < .03). The volume expansion with 20% albumin corresponded to twice the infused volume. One third of the 5% albumin volume quickly leaked out of the plasma, probably because of the higher colloid osmotic pressure of the volunteer plasma (mean, 24.5 mmHg) than the albumin solution (19.1 mmHg). At 6 h, the capillary leakage amounted to 42 +/- 15% and 47 +/- 11% of the administered albumin with the 20% and 5% preparations, respectively (p = .28). The corresponding urine outputs were 547 (316-780) ml and 687 (626-1080) ml (median and interquartile range; p = .24). Conclusion The most important difference between the fluids was a dehydrating effect of 20% albumin when the same albumin mass was administered.