Serum Albumin a Strong Predictor of Mortality in Sepsis: Two New Studies

A retrospective, correlational study of all patients admitted to a U.S. regional hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) with a primary diagnosis of sepsis showed admission serum albumin level, serum albumin trend overtime and lowest serum albumin level were all significant unique predictors of mortality. The probability of survival decreases by 70.6 percent when there is a strong negative trend in serum albumin level, by 63.4 percent when admission serum albumin is ≤2.45 g/dL, and by 76.4 percent when the lowest serum albumin level is ≤1.45 g/dL.

The investigators encouraged clinicians to measure serum albumin levels in patients with sepsis. “Low serum albumin levels and a strong negative trend in serial measurements should instigate aggressive monitoring and treatment in this population,” they concluded.

In a separate study published the same week, Japanese investigators at Osaka University found daily negative changes in serum albumin level was especially strongly associated with mortality in a retrospective study of 136 septic patients treated in the ICU for more than seven days (p<0.05). Decreases in the values of total protein, total cholesterol and cholinesterase were also significantly associated with mortality during prolonged ICU stays.