A Relationship between febrile illness, serum albumin level and mortality in elderly hospitalized patients.

The author sought to determine the etiology of febrile illness and risk factors influencing mortality in elderly patients. The patients, aged 65 years or older, were hospitalized in a geriatric hospital in Fukuoka City, Japan. A total of 405 febrile illness was diagnosed and the background, clinical features of the fever, and laboratory data were analyzed. Serum albumin levels were checked both at the onset and on the 8th day of fever in 140 patients. Of febrile illness of elderly patients, pneumonia is a principal disease with a high risk of mortality. Serum albumin level at the onset of fever and the reduction rate in the serum albumin level from baseline to day +8 after the onset of febrile illness were predictive factors of mortality within 30 days of fever. When examining febrile, elderly patients, checking the serum albumin level is useful for determining which patients are at high risk.