Open AccessShould Albumin Be Used to Correct Hypoalbuminemia in the Critically Ill? No
Author(s) -
ALKhafaji Ali,
Webb Andrew R.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
transfusion alternatives in transfusion medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1778-428X
pISSN - 1295-9022
DOI - 10.1111/j.1778-428x.2003.tb00179.x
Subject(s) - hypoalbuminemia , medicine , albumin , critically ill , intensive care medicine , disease , serum albumin
SUMMARY Hypoalbuminemia is the consequence of a disease process and successful treatment of the underlying disease should result in a gradual return to normal serum albumin values. There are many theoretical useful properties of albumin that make achieving normal serum values an attractive proposition. The available literature does not support the use of albumin to correct hypoalbuminemia. In fact we might do more harm than good by infusing albumin.