title: Results of a survey on albumin use in clinical practice in intensive care units.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human albumin solutions are used in a number of disorders, though their indications are not clear in all circumstances. These solutions are costly, and their benefit has not been established in all settings. It is therefore interesting to assess the presence of albumin solutions in the daily clinical practice of critical care professionals.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To report the standard clinical practices and to describe the variability of albumin solutions use in critically ill patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey sent by e-mail to Spanish and South American Intensive Care Units (ICUs)
  
  
  METHODS
  Planning and execution during the year 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire comprising 35 questions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-seven surveys were analyzed. The use of albumin solutions was sporadic or negligible in critically ill patients (96.5%). The exceptions were patients with liver disease (87.7% of the responders administered albumin to these patients). A high percentage of professionals claimed to know the available scientific evidence on the use of albumin in patients with liver disease (82.5%) and in patients without liver disease (77.2%). Only 5.3% of the responders preferred to rely on their own experience to establish the indications of albumin use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of albumin solutions is infrequent in ICUs, except in patients with liver disease. Evidence-based knowledge on albumin use is declared to be extensive in ICUs. As a rule, opinions on the use of albumin solutions are based on the scientific recommendations, especially in patients with liver disease. Professional experience rarely prevails over the published clinical guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario del Tajo, Aranjuez, Madrid, España. Electronic address: belenestebanez@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Estébanez-Montiel
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quintana-Díaz
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García de Lorenzo y Mateos
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario del Tajo, Aranjuez, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blancas Gomez-Casero
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Alicante, España.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Acosta-Escribano
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marcos-Neira
mesh_terms: D000418:Albumins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000628:therapy*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012996:Solutions; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D012996:Solutions
keywords: Albumin solutions; Clinical practice; Critically ill patient; Encuesta; Paciente crítico; Práctica clínica; Soluciones de albúmina; Survey