Serum Albumin Levels in Emergency Patients with Low BMI

Abstract

A low body mass index (BMI) is often associated with low nutritional status and adverse health outcomes. While the BMI is used in describing “thinness” meaning cachexia, serum albumin levels were also used in assessing patient’s nutritional conditions. Object: A retrospective study was conducted to determine whether the extremes of BMI and/or cachexia increased the morbidity and mortality in our critical emergency department. Methods: A hundred and five cases with low BMI (≤18.5 kg/m2) were chosen from the patients who were admitted to our critical emergency department from Sept 2013 to Aug 2016. The relationship between serum albumin levels on admission and prognosis were analyzed. Results: No significant correlations were observed between body mass index and albumin levels in thin patients. Lower levels of serum albumin (<3.3 g/dL) group was associated with a higher incidence of death. However, there was no death in higher levels of serum albumin (≥3.3 g/dL) group. A significant difference (p < 0.01) in life prognosis was observed in patients with albumin of 3.3 g/dL or more and below. Moreover, the mean albumin level in septic cases was significantly lower than that of non-septic cases. Conclusions: Even with low BMI, if the albumin value was 3.3 g/dL or more, the prognosis was good in our emergency department. Estimation of albumin level on admission is not only a simple and objective way to assess the nutritional status but also a useful outcome predictor of critically ill patients coming to emergency centers.