title: Is replacement of albumin in major abdominal surgery useful?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate retrospectively serum albumin concentrations as well as morbidity and mortality of abdominal surgical patients who--if hypoalbuminemic--did not receive human albumin solutions versus those who did receive such solutions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic community hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of 76 consecutive patients who had undergone elective abdominal surgery were reviewed. Preoperative and postoperative serum albumin concentrations up to the seventh day after surgery were recorded. Morbidity and mortality were followed until the time of discharge from the hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  38 patients who received albumin replacement if they were hypoalbuminemic versus 38 patients who did not receive albumin replacement showed no significant difference in cumulative (P < 0.52) or individual postoperative complications (infections P < 0.35, cardiovascular complications P < 1.0, organ failure P < 0.67, thromboembolic incidents P < 0.26), and mortality (P < 0.47).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postoperative serum albumin concentration had no correlation with postoperative morbidity. There is no justification for perioperative albumin replacement in abdominal cancer surgical patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Institute of Oncology, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Ksenija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mahkovic-Hergouth
authors.forename: Lidija
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kompan
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery*; D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000601:surgery; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D003124:Colorimetry; D003422:Critical Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D034141:Hypoalbuminemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000601:surgery; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D012709:Serum Albumin