Newsletter

[ Vol. 6 No. 2 ] (May - August 2005 )
Prealbumin as prognostic indicator in critical ill patients

Sang Hee Chae, Bo Sook Ahn, Cheung Soo Shin, Sang Young Jung.
Department of Pharmacy / Department of Anesthesiology, t Yondong Severance Hospital,Yonsei University, Seoul Korea, Chunnam University, Chunnam, Korea.

Background: It has been shown that 30-50% of hospital inpatients are in nutritional deficients status. Determining the level of prealbumin, a hepatic protein, is a sensitive and cost-effective method of assessing the severity of illnessresulting 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. Aim of this study is to evaluate serum prealbumin as prognostic indicator in critically ill patients.

Methods: 44 patients who received total, parenteral nutrition for more than 7 days at Yondong Severance hospital ICU were studied. We measured serum albumin at time of initiate nutrition support and 7 days after nutrition support. Patients were allocated into two group. In group 1 (N = 31) prealbumin level was increased and group 2 prealbumin level was decrease (n = 13). Age, Apache score, nutrition status, Nutritional requirement, hospital day, ICU day, mortality were compared between two groups.

Results: Serum prealbumin was increased in 31 out of 44 patients. The average calorie intake in Group 1 and 2 was 1334 Kcal/day (83% of energy requirement) and 1170 Kcal/day (76% of energy requirement). Mortality in Group 1 and group 2 was 42% and 54%. Average hospital day/ICU day in group I and group 2 were 80 days/38 days and 60 days/31 days.

Conclusions: We conclude that serum prealbumin may be a useful index for nutritional status but it is not sensitive indicator of prognosis in critical in patients.

From 
“The Future of Nutrition Support and Cooperation Among the Asian Regions”
The 10^th PENSA Congress, Dusit Resort Pattaya, Chonburi, Thailand. 
October 27-29, 2004: Page 172