What is the Role of Osmolal Gap in Conjunction with Anion Gap?
The osmolal gap is another diagnostic tool used alongside the anion gap to further narrow down the cause of metabolic acidosis. It is calculated by comparing the measured serum osmolality with the calculated osmolality. An increased osmolal gap suggests the presence of low molecular weight substances such as methanol or ethylene glycol, which are not accounted for in the calculated osmolality but contribute to the measured osmolality.
