Serum albumin measurements are used in the diagnosis of numerous diseases. Elevated serum albumin levels are usually the result of dehydration.

In 1965, Rodkey introduced a convenient, direct method for determining albumin concentrations in serum utilizing a neutral buffered solution of bromocresol green (BCG) as the dye binding indicator. In 1971, Doumas et al.3  increased the sensitivity of the reaction by adding a nonionic surfactant to the reagent to prevent turbidity and improve linearity. This Albumin method is a modification of the Doumas and Rodkey procedures utilizing a different buffering system. At pH 4.2, bromocresol green reacts with albumin to form an intense green complex. The absorbance of the albumin-BCG complex is measured bichromatically (600/800nm) and is proportional to the albumin concentration in the sample.