Article

Low albumin level in the emergency department: a potential independent predictor of delayed mortality in blunt trauma.

Department of Trauma Research, Swedish Medical Center, 501 E. Hampden Avenue, Englewood, CO 80110-2795, USA.
Journal of Emergency Medicine (impact factor: 1.31). 07/2003; 25(1):1-6. pp.1-6
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Albumin is an abundant plasma protein with multiple physiologic functions, and low serum albumin levels have been associated with increased mortality in hospitalized patients. In a retrospective matched-pair study, we investigated whether emergency department (ED) albumin levels predict delayed mortality for patients initially stabilized after blunt trauma. Fifty-one hospital non-survivors who died more than 24 h after admission to a trauma center ED were matched by Injury Severity Score, type and location of injury, age, and gender with 51 survivors. All patients had serum albumin levels determined upon arrival in the ED. The non-survivors had a significantly lower admission albumin of 3.1 g/dL compared to 3.5 g/dL for survivors. Patients with albumin levels < 3.4 g/dL were 2.5 times more likely to die compared to patients with normal albumin levels. These preliminary results indicate that initial hypoalbuminemia in blunt trauma patients is an independent predictor of delayed mortality, suggesting that these patients require continued clinical vigilance and an aggressive search for evolving complications.

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Keywords

abundant plasma protein
 
aggressive search
 
Albumin
 
albumin levels
 
clinical vigilance
 
evolving complications
 
independent predictor
 
initial hypoalbuminemia
 
Injury Severity Score
 
low serum albumin levels
 
lower admission albumin
 
multiple physiologic functions
 
normal albumin levels
 
patients
 
preliminary results
 
retrospective matched-pair study
 
trauma
 
trauma center ED
 
trauma patients