The power of serum albumin levels in predicting mortality in critical patients

Abstract

Aims: Given the presence of comorbidities and critical illnesses in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), it is imperative to accurately forecast their prognosis and mortality in order to effectively plan and administer their therapies. Decreased serum albumin level is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. We designed this study to evaluate the prognostic value of decreased serum albumin level and its association with age in critically ill patients based on data obtained from the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: Data of patients followed between June 2022 and December 2023 in the Internal Medicine ICU of Akdeniz University Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Albumin, C-reactive protein (CRP), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE-II) scores were documented within the initial 24 hours following admission to the ICU. Delta Albumin expression was used to express the changes between albumin values. The relationship between the obtained data and age was examined and compared between the surviving and deceased patient groups. Results: 300 patients were included in the study. Albumin levels were significantly lower at admission compared to discharge in both the survival and deceased groups (both p