title: Use and abuse of albumin: a survey of clinical records from an internal medicine ward.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was to review albumin prescriptions and indications in 4122 patients hospitalized in internal medicine wards in the years 1996, 1998 and 1999, before and after the ad hoc regulations issued in 1997 by the Italian Ministry of Health.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 1996 (n=63), 1998 (n=59) and 1999 (n=55) 177 of these patients (4.3%) were given i.v. albumin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  161 (91%) of them had serum albumin values of <3.5 g/dl, while in only 36% were these values <2.5 g/dl.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the majority of cases albumin was erroneously prescribed, often to enhance diuretic efficacy or in protein energy malnutrition. Its prescription has not been influenced by the new recommendations.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Università Federico II di Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Finelli
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Alfano
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pasanisi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marra
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Violante
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alfonsi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scalfi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Contaldo
mesh_terms: D000418:Albumins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000628:therapy*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000592:standards*; D007558:Italy; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins