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Hypoalbuminaemia at admission predicts the poor outcomes in critically ill children.

BACKGROUND
Hypoalbuminaemia at admission is a common finding in patients admitted to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and it is thought that this may predict morbidity and mortality.


METHODS
A retrospective study was conducted in the tertiary hospital. The medical records of critically ill children were reviewed. The data were analyzed for the prevalence of hypoalbuminaemia and outcomes.


RESULTS
Two hundred and two patients were included in the analysis. The incidence of hypoalbuminaemia at admission was 57.9%. These patients had a mortality rate 4 times greater (adjusted odds ratio 3.8; 95% CI: 1.4-10.0), a longer length of PICU stay (8.6 vs. 6.7 days, P = 0.04) and a longer period on a ventilator (5.9 vs. 3.9 days, P = 0.04) than patients with normal albumin levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Hypoalbuminaemia at admission was a predictive factor of poor outcome in critically ill children. It is associated with a higher mortality, a longer length of stay in the PICU, as well as longer ventilator use.