Serum osmolal gap
Serum osmolal gap (also known as osmolar gap or osmolality gap) is a calculated value derived from the osmolality of a patient's blood serum. It is used in medical diagnostics to identify certain types of metabolic disorders and poisoning.
Definition[edit | edit source]
The serum osmolal gap is the difference between the measured serum osmolality and the calculated serum osmolality. The calculated osmolality is typically derived from the concentrations of sodium, glucose, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in the blood serum.
Clinical significance[edit | edit source]
The serum osmolal gap is used in the diagnosis of various medical conditions. An elevated osmolal gap can indicate the presence of unmeasured osmoles in the blood, such as ethanol, methanol, ethylene glycol, or propylene glycol. This can be indicative of poisoning or metabolic disorders.
In addition, the serum osmolal gap can be used to monitor the progress of treatment for these conditions. A decreasing osmolal gap can indicate that the unmeasured osmoles are being metabolized and excreted from the body.
Calculation[edit | edit source]
The serum osmolal gap is calculated using the following formula:
Osmolal gap = Measured osmolality - Calculated osmolality
The calculated osmolality is typically derived using the following formula:
Calculated osmolality = 2 * (Sodium concentration) + (Glucose concentration / 18) + (BUN concentration / 2.8)
Limitations[edit | edit source]
While the serum osmolal gap is a useful diagnostic tool, it has several limitations. It is not specific for any particular substance, and an elevated osmolal gap can be caused by a variety of substances. In addition, the accuracy of the osmolal gap can be affected by errors in the measurement of serum osmolality or the concentrations of sodium, glucose, and BUN.
See also[edit | edit source]
 | This medical article is a stub. You can help WikiMD by expanding it. |
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
|
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
| Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
Medical Disclaimer: WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The information on WikiMD is provided as an information resource only, may be incorrect, outdated or misleading, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. WikiMD expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site. By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, which may from time to time be changed or supplemented by WikiMD. If you do not agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, you should not enter or use this site. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
