Viscosity, Serum

Blood viscosity is a measure of the resistance of blood to flow due to any stress. Changes in the concentration of one or more blood protein fractions will result in a change in viscosity. Blood or serum viscosity can, therefore, be used both as a diagnostic tool for the presence of diseases known to alter the proteins and as a measure of the extent of the condition.

Normal range: 1.10 " “1.80 cP (relative to water).

Use

Evaluate hyperviscosity syndrome associated with monoclonal gammopathy states (myeloma, Waldenstr ƒ ¶m macroglobulinemia, and other dysproteinemias), including RA, SLE, and hyperfibrinogenemia.

Interpretation

Increased In

Increased leukocyte count

Thrombocytosis

Hyperlipoproteinemia

Macroglobulinemia

Sj ƒ ¶gren syndrome

SLE

Lymphoproliferative disorders

Hyperglobulinemia associated with cirrhosis

Chronic active hepatitis

Acute thermal burns

Decreased In

No clinical significance

Limitations

Whole blood measurement is of limited use because of differences in shear rates between instrumentation and in vivo conditions.

Clinical symptoms do not correlate well with test results.