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Osmolality

Formal name: Osmolality, plasma, urine, and stool
Related tests: BUN, Creatinine, Electrolytes, Glucose, Sodium, Osmotic gap, Osmolal gap
At A Glance
 
Why get tested?
To help evaluate the body’s water and electrolyte balance and to help investigate hyponatremia and increased or decreased urine production; to detect the ingestion of certain toxins (such as methanol); to monitor the effectiveness of treatment for conditions affecting osmolality; to help determine the cause of chronic diarrhea

When to get tested?
When a patient has a low sodium level; when a patient is taking mannitol; when a doctor suspects that a patient may have ingested a toxin such as methanol or ethylene glycol; when a patient is producing significantly increased or decreased amounts of urine; when a patient has chronic diarrhea

Sample required?
A blood sample drawn from a vein in your arm and/or a random urine sample; sometimes a fresh, liquid stool sample



This article was last reviewed on January 30, 2006.
 
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