Albumin and nutritional oedema.

The nature of the association between plasma albumin and nutritional oedema has been examined by observing the changes in albumin during loss of oedema in patients on a restricted diet. Since there was no difference in the concentration of plasma albumin before and after loss of oedema, the association is not causal. These results provide no support for the assertion that nutritional oedema should be treated with a high-protein diet or an albumin infusion.