Long Intravascular Persistence of 20% Albumin in Postoperative Patients

Albumin may persist intravascularly for a shorter time in patients after major surgery than in healthy volunteers due to a surgery-induced breakdown (shedding) of the endothelial glycocalyx layer.In this nonrandomized clinical trial, an IV infusion of 3 mL/kg of 20% albumin was given at a constant rate during 30 minutes to 15 patients on the first day after major open abdominal surgery (mean operating time 5.9 h) and to 15 conscious volunteers....