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Prevalence of Hypoalbuminemia in Hospitalized Patients

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Original Article

Author Details : Mohammed Sabiullah, Naazia Arifuddin, Jyotchna Devi Bade, Babu Rao R., Mohammed Abdullah Saad, Sadha

Volume : 3, Issue : 2, Year : 2016

Article Page : 159-161

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Abstract

Introduction: Hypoalbuminemia is a common and vexing problem in hospitalized individuals. Serum albumin levels fall, often dramatically from early in the course of critical illness and will not increase again until the recovery phase of the illness. Increased risk of morbidity and mortality are correlated with lower serum albumin levels.
Objective: This study was done to find out the prevalence of hypoalbuminemia in hospitalized patients.
Materials and Methods: The study was a retrospective observational study which was carried out on 1071 patients. Serum total protein and serum albumin were measured.
Results: 165 patients had hypoalbuminemia which accounts for a prevalence of 15%. Patients from burns ward accounted for 44.8%, those from medical wards accounted for 34.5% and from surgical wards for 20.1%. Mean±S.D of serum albumin was 2.5±0.42 g/dl in both burn and medical wards patients and 2.4±0.38 g/dl for those admitted in surgical wards.
Conclusion: Hypoalbuminemia results from decreased production, defective synthesis, deficient intake or increased losses of albumin. Measuring serum albumin concentration can serve as a prognostic marker for predicting morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of hypoalbuminemia was high in patients admitted in burns ward in our study.

Key Words: Albumin, Total Proteins, Hypoalbuminemia, Morbidity, Mortality

How to cite : Sabiullah M, Arifuddin N, Bade J D, Babu Rao R., Saad M A, Sadha, Prevalence of Hypoalbuminemia in Hospitalized Patients. Int J Clin Biochem Res 2016;3(2):159-161

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