Serum albumin and base deficit as prognostic factors for mortality in major burn patients

Abstract

Objective The objective of this study was to assess serum albumin and base deficit as prognostic factors for mortality in major burn patients. Background Hypoalbuminemia is a common clinical deficiency in burn patients and is associated with complications related to increased extravascular fluid, including edema, abnormal healing, and susceptibility to sepsis. Base deficit is routinely calculated on blood gas analysis, and it provides the best estimate of the degree of tissue anoxia and shock at the whole body level, particularly in hemorrhagic shock. A rising base deficit indicates increasing metabolic acidosis, and may stratify mortality in patients after major trauma. Some prognostic scales do not include biochemical parameters, whereas others consider them together with comorbidities. The purpose of this study was to determine whether serum albumin and base deficit can predict mortality in burn patients. Patients and methods This study included 42 patients. All patients were admitted to the burn ICU at Menoufia University Hospital. Serum albumin and base deficit were estimated in patients at admission, after 3 days, and after 1 week. Results The mean of serum albumin on admission was 3.33 ± 0.44 g/dl, after 3 days it was 2.85 ± 0.54 g/dl, and after 1 week it was 2.46 ± 0.67 g/dl, and the mean of base deficit was 5.75 ± 2.40, 5.24 ± 2.05, and 5.45 ± 2.76, respectively. These results were significant (P Conclusion Statistically, serum albumin and base deficit can be used as prognostic factors for mortality, and colloid therapy should be continued for the first week, not only for the first 3 days.