Albumin uptake by skin, skeletal muscle and lung in living and dying patients.

Quantitative changes in albumin and water content which occur in skin and muscle tissue obtained by biopsy from clean surgical incisions at the time of skin incision and at the time of wound closure were assessed in seven patients who had major abdominal and vascular operations. Biopsies from skin, muscle and pulmonary tissue were obtained in a second group of nine patients who had thoracotomy for suspected bronchogenic carcinoma. The intravascular albumin mass decreased linearly with the duration of the operation (r = 0.