Skip to main content
Log in

Association of a low serum albumin with infection and increased mortality in critically Ill patients

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Intensive Care Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

214 patients among 282 consecutive admissions had at least one measurement of serum albumin (SA) during their stay on the ICU and were classified according to their stay on the ICU and were classified according to their lowest value of SA. Mean SA was 2.88±0.74 g/100 ml. Survivors had a mean SA (3.18±0.60) higher than non-survivors (2.35±0.68 g/100 ml) (p<0.05). 64% of patients were admitted with an abnormally low SA (less than 3.5 g/100 ml) and in 56% of these the initial value was higher than the last. Mortality increased in the groups with lower SA and the level of SA was associated with infection (x2=73.9) and mortality (x2=69.7) (p<0.05). The percentage of infected patients who died increased in groups with lower SA.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Blackburn GL, Maini BS, Pierce EC (1977) Nutrition in the critically ill patient. Anaesthesiology 47:181

    Google Scholar 

  2. Blackburn GL (1977) Nutrition assessment and support during infection. Am J Clin Nutr 30:1493

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Bollet AJ, Owens S (1973) Evaluation of nutritional status of selected patients hospitalized. Am J Clin Nutr 26:931

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bristian BR, Blackburn GL, Hollowell E, Heddle R (1974) Protein status of general surgical patients. J Am Med Assoc 230:858

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bristian BR, Blackburn GL, Scrimshaw NS, Flatt JP (1975) Cellular immunity in semistarved states in hospitalized adults. Am J Clin Nutr 28:1148

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Bristian BR, Blackburn GL, Vitale J, Cochran D, Naylor J (1976) Prevalence of malnutrition in general medical practice. J Am Med Assoc 235:1567

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bristian BR (1977) Interaction of nutrition and infection in the hospital setting. Am J Clin Nutr 30:1228

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Hatcher JJ, Ripoll I (1978) Malnutrition and infection in a general intensive care unit. Crit Care Med 6:107

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hoffenberg R, Black E, Brock JF (1966) Albumin and ϕ-globulin tracer studies in protein depletion states. J Clin Invest 45:143

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Jelliffe DB (1966) The assessment of the nutritional status of the community. World Health Organization, Genève, p 84

    Google Scholar 

  11. Law DK, Dudrick SJ, Abdou NI (1973) Immunocompetence of patients with protein-calorie malnutrition. The effects of nutritional repletion. Ann Intern Med 79:545

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Long CL, Jeevanandam M, Kim BM, Kinney JM (1977) Whole body protein synthesis and catabolism in septic man. Am J Clin Nutr 30:1340

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. MacLean LID, Meakins JL, Taguchi K, Duignan JP, Dhillon KS, Gordon J (1975) Host resistance in sepsis and trauma. Ann Surg 182:207

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Miller JDB, Blackburn GL, Bristian BR, Rienhoff HY, Trerice M (1977) Effect of deep surgical sepsis on protein-sparing therapie and nitrogen balance. Am J Clin Nutr 30:1528

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Neumann C (1977) Interaction of malnutrition and infection. A neglected clinical concept. Arch Intern Med 137:1364

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Rothschild MA, Oratz M, Schreiber SS (1972) Albumin synthesis. N Engl J Med 286:748, 816

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Stiehm ER, Ammann AJ, Barnett EV, Craddock CG, Fudenberg HH, Lawler GJ (1972) Diseases of cellular immunity. Ann Intern Med 77:101

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Thomas L, Gerard M, Malquarti RV, Bertoye A (1979) Nutritional status and body composition in critically ill patients. Intens Care Med 5:156

    Google Scholar 

  19. Weissman EL, Sussman SA, Clarke JR, Dunn JK (1978) The relation of serum albumin levels and total lymphocyte counts to the development of sepsis. Crit Care Med 6:109

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Domínguez de Villota, E., Mosquera, J.M., Rubio, J.J. et al. Association of a low serum albumin with infection and increased mortality in critically Ill patients. Intensive Care Med 7, 19–22 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01692917

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01692917

Key words

Navigation