The relationship between plasma viscosity and serum viscosity can reveal much about the body’s response to infection and inflammation. David Norcliffe, David Manuel and Bernie Benson explore the clinical significance of this metric in diagnostic medicine.
Plasma viscosity (PV) and serum viscosity (SV) are well understood as rapid, cost-effective, non-specific tests. Despite their simplicity, they can demonstrate diagnostic capability when used to diagnose and monitor complex disorders that are difficult to detect, diagnose or quantify.1,2
Studies of blood and serum viscosity date back to the middle of the 19th Century by the physician Poisueille3 but with the introduction of in vitro anticoagulation in the 1920s the emphasis moved towards plasma.4 It was measured using an Ostwald device consisting of a glass U-tube, where the time taken for a 1-2 mL sample of fluid to travel from one arm to the other was measured, giving a reflection of viscosity.
Today a fully automated capillary viscometer will use only 70 µL of patient sample per test giving repeatable, reproducible and reliable results.5
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