title: Albumin administration in patients with severe sepsis due to secondary peritonitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To determine whether or not intravenous administration of human albumin can reduce mortality in patients with severe sepsis due to secondary peritonitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult patients who were admitted to the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) who fulfilled the criteria of severe sepsis due to secondary peritonitis were consecutively included in this retrospective study. Patients who received and those who did not receive at least a daily minimum of 25 g intravenous human albumin for 3 days during their first 7 days of SICU admission were classified as the study group and control group, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 133 patients were included in this study. For patients with baseline serum albumin < or = 20 g/L, 28-day mortality was significantly lower in the study group. For patients with baseline serum albumin > 20 g/L, albumin administration had no significant effects on 28-day mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For patients with severe sepsis due to secondary peritonitis, albumin administration may reduce 28-day mortality in patients whose baseline serum albumin is < or = 20 g/L, but no such effect was found in patients whose baseline serum albumin was > 20 g/L.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: Chih-Dou
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Huey-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Yien
authors.forename: Der-Min
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Cheng-Deng
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Kuo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin