Clinical utility of body fluid analyses: an overview.

OBJECTIVE: To assess new laboratory procedures for testing body cavity fluids from minor sites such as amniotic fluid, saliva, and synovial fluids, as well as major sites such as pleural, pericardial, peritoneal, and cerebrospinal fluids. DATA SOURCES: Recent professional literature. STUDY SELECTION: Not specified. DATA EXTRACTION: Survey of literature. DATA SYNTHESIS: Normal values for fluids in major body sites are given; causes of abnormalities include inflammation, infection, and neoplastic conditions. Clinical value of newer amniotic fluid tests for fetal lung material and other ancillary tests using synovial fluid, saliva, and cerebrospinal fluid in the diagnosis of metabolic disorders is assessed. CONCLUSION: Clinical laboratories will require a clear demonstration of that value before putting the tests into widespread use; data must show that tests are less expensive, more informative, and safer than the old ones.