Human Albumin Infusions and Homologous Serum Jaundice

It is the general impression of most observers who have had contact with large groups of patients given human albumin intravenously that homologous serum jaundice has not been seen following the use of this preparation. Experimental work by Gellis1aand his co-workers, who gave mixtures of albumin and known infected pooled plasma to human volunteers, seems to indicate that the heating for 10 hours at 60 C normally carried out in the process of albumin preparation is sufficient to inactivate the virus. In control studies using the same mixtures without heating, hepatitis was produced in three out of five volunteers, indicating that there is no antiviral activity in the albumin itself. Because of the unsolved problem of homologous serum jaundice following use of dried and even irradiated plasma and other blood derivatives, more study of patients receiving human albumin intravenously seems indicated. An effort was made to determine the