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Background: Albumin, the most abundant plasma protein, is synthesized in the liver. It plays an important role in several physiological mechanisms including the regulation of the osmotic pressure, the intravascular transport of water-soluble molecules such as hormones, cholesterol, calcium and drugs. Increasing or decreasing serum albumin levels are adequate indicators, respectively, of improvement or deterioration of the clinical state. In contrast hypoalbuminemia, a clinical condition where serum albumin levels drop below 3.5 g/dL, is one of the most prevalent disorders in hospitalized and critically ill patients. The present study was aimed at analyzing the association of hypoalbuminemia and the factors associated with prognosis in hospitalized patients.
Methods: The present findings were collected from 106 medical records from patients between the ages of 18 and 91 years of age, at the Metabolic Nutritional Support Unit of a Level 3 Hospital. Serum albumin, serum phosphorus, lymphocyte count and morbidity and mortality rates were determined.
Results: From the 106 clinical and nutritional records assessed, 39 were women (36.8%) and 67 were men (63.2%). We found that 85% of patients presented some degree of hypoalbuminemia, with the severe degree being the most prevalent at 35%. Diabetes was the most prevalent pathology in the population evaluated. A significant difference was found for serum albumin (p < 0.01) and diabetes (p < 0.05) among the factors associated with the prognosis of patients.
Conclusion: Our findings indicated that the clinical factors in patients receiving nutritional support associated with mortality were serum albumin and the presence of diabetes.
