osmotoxicity

osmotoxicity

(ŏz″mō-tŏk′sĭs′ĭ-tē) [″ + ″] The adverse effects of highly concentrated fluids on body structures. These effects are often observed when radiological contrast media with a dense concentration of solute are injected into the body during imaging procedures. Patients may experience a sense of warmth, have low or high blood pressures, or suffer adverse effects caused by cell membrane dysfunction, e.g., alterations in the flexibility of red blood cell membranes or in the permeability of the lungs to gas exchange.