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Oncotic pressure, or colloid osmotic-pressure, is a type of osmotic pressure induced by the plasma proteins, notably albumin, [1] in a blood vessel's plasma (or any other body fluid such as blood and lymph) that causes a pull on fluid back into the capillary.
Understand how plasma proteins contribute to colloid osmotic pressure, the mechanisms of fluid distribution, and the clinical implications of imbalances. Learn about measurement techniques and the importance of maintaining optimal levels of plasma proteins for fluid homeostasis.
Proteins, by contrast, are mostly restricted to the plasma compartment, making them effective osmotic agents in the ability to draw water from the interstitial space (where protein concentration is low) to the plasma compartment (where protein concentration is high).
The Dorwart and Chalmers formula is widely used to estimate plasma osmolality. It utilizes the basic metabolic panel (BMP) to measure sodium, glucose, and blood urea nitrogen. Serum Osmolality=1.86 (Na)+ (Glucose)/18 + (BUN)/2.8+9. Normal serum osmolality ranges from 275 to 295 mmol/kg.
In normal plasma, the plasma proteins are the major colloids present. As the colloids are solutes they contribute to the total osmotic pressure of the solution. This component due to the colloids is typically quite a small percent of the total osmotic pressure.
Albumin is the most abundant protein in the blood and accounts for about 50% of all plasma proteins; it is synthesized by the liver and secreted immediately without storage. The physiological regulators of albumin are the colloid osmotic pressure and nutritional status.
The plasma colloid osmotic pressure may be markedly reduced in clinical conditions in which the plasma proteins are low (e.g., malnutrition, nephrosis, and massive burns) and thus may facilitate the formation of pulmonary edema.