European Journal of Internal Medicine
Volume 19, Issue 8 , Pages 587-591, December 2008

Prevalence and significance of hypoalbuminemia in an internal medicine department☆

  • Filippo Numeroso

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. via Govone 100, I-20155, Milano, Italy. Tel.: +393334604349, Tel.: +0039521903267; fax: +0039521702490.
    • ,
  • Angela L. Barilli

      Affiliations

    • Tel.: +0039521903267; fax: +0039521702490.
    • ,
  • Roberto Delsignore

      Affiliations

    • Tel.: +0039521903267; fax: +0039521702490.

Department of Internal Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University of Parma, Italy, Via Gramsci 14, 43100, Parma, Italy

Received 14 January 2007; received in revised form 16 April 2007; accepted 23 April 2007. published online 28 March 2008.

Abstract 

Background

Serum albumin is commonly measured in hospitalized patients. It has habitually been included among the parameters used for nutritional assessment, and recently its use has become even more widespread. Yet, no data are available in the literature about the prevalence and clinical significance of hypoalbuminemia in patients hospitalized in an internal medicine ward. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and clinical significance of hypoalbuminemia in in-hospital internal medicine patients.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated the albumin level of patients admitted to the Department of Internal Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University of Parma during the year 2000. We then evaluated sex, age, nutritional status, some laboratory parameters, associated diseases, and length of hospitalization in hypoalbuminemic patients in comparison with a group of patients without hypoalbuminemia.

Results

Hypoalbuminemics (46.5% of patients) were older, more frequently anemic, and had a higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and longer hospitalization; they were mostly normal weight or overweight. These patients also had chronic liver (18.6% vs. 4.5%), onco-hematological (33.8% vs. 12%), and infectious diseases (13.4% vs. 2.3%) and nephropathies (6.3% vs. 2%) more often than patients without hypoalbuminemia. The presence of onco-hematological diseases was related to anemia (O.R.=5.73; 95% CI: 3.184–10.310), lymphopenia (O.R.=2.76; 95% CI: 1.584–4.801), and hypoalbuminemia (O.R.=2.5; 95% CI: 1.178–5.307).

Conclusions

Hypoalbuminemia is very frequent in an internal medicine ward. In this setting, serum albumin is related to the length of hospitalization and to other parameters with a well-known prognostic value (age, hemoglobin) and clinical usefulness (ESR). It may also play a role in the evaluation of the possible association of onco-hematological diseases.

Keywords: Albumin, Nutritional status, Onco-hematological diseases

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 31.50 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

☆ F. Numeroso was responsible for the study design, data collection and analysis, and manuscript writing, with contributions from all others authors. A.L. Barilli was the trial statistician. The paper has been read and approved by all authors and every author contributed to the drafting and reviewing of the paper.

PII: S0953-6205(08)00072-1

doi:10.1016/j.ejim.2007.04.029

European Journal of Internal Medicine
Volume 19, Issue 8 , Pages 587-591, December 2008

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution