title: Prealbumin: a marker for nutritional evaluation.
abstract: Determining the level of prealbumin, a hepatic protein, is a sensitive and cost-effective method of assessing the severity of illness resulting from malnutrition in patients who are critically ill or have a chronic disease. Prealbumin levels have been shown to correlate with patient outcomes and are an accurate predictor of patient recovery. In high-risk patients, prealbumin levels determined twice weekly during hospitalization can alert the physician to declining nutritional status, improve patient outcome, and shorten hospitalization in an increasingly cost-conscious economy.
authors: State University of New York at Buffalo, USA.
authors: Frederick K
authors: FK
authors: Beck
authors: Thomas C
authors: TC
authors: Rosenthal
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000378:metabolism*; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D011228:Prealbumin