Albumin infusion does not alter the intervillous blood flow in severe pre-eclampsia.

Intervillous blood flow (IVBF) was measured by the 133Xe intravenous method before and after a 100 ml infusion of 20% human albumin in 13 cases of severe pre-eclampsia. In spite of the significant increase in serum albumin and colloid osmotic pressure values, no parallel direction of change in IVBF values could be seen to result from the immediate effects of volume expansion therapy. The results suggest that the use of albumin infusion is of no specific value in the treatment of severe pre-eclampsia in terms of evaluation at the level of placental circulation. The observation of an increase in placental blood flow in cases of real hypoalbuminemia calls for a further elucidation.