Plasma and ascitic fluid osmotic pressure in relation to ascites formation

ABSTRACT

Twenty five schistosomal patients including twenty ascitic and five non ascitic patients have been studied for plasma and ascitic fluid osmotic pressure using the advanced osmometer model 3 L and total proteins were estimated. Ten healthy persons of matched age served as control. We found lower osmotic pressure of plasma in ascitic cases compared to the non ascitic and control group, but we could not find a critical level of osmotic pressure below which ascites occurs