Plasma colloid osmotic pressure in venous blood from the human foot in orthostasis.

Several theories could explain the slow rate of edema formation in the feet of sitting or standing man. One possible mechanism is a rise in local plasma colloid osmotic pressure (pi p). We measured pi p in blood from superficial veins of warm and cold feet during orthostasis. The difference in venous pi p between the foot and the arm averaged 12.8 mmHg (range 9.4-16.1 mmHg) in subjects sitting in a cold room. Hemoconcentration was also reflected as increased hematocrit. These findings support the view that a local increase of pi p in foot capillaries contributes considerably to edema prevention during orthostasis.