Serumalbumin--a Qualified Parameter to Determine the Nutritional Status?

Objectives: The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the relationship between serum albumin concentration and nutritional status. As a secondary objective, correlations between nutritional status, the length of hospital stay, the number of drugs taken and patients' age were assessed.

Methods: In a mono-centre non-interventional trial hospitalised patients were screened for undernutrition. Length of hospital stay, number of drug prescriptions, number of diagnoses, age and serum albumin concentration were recorded. Undernutrition was defined using the criteria of Edington et al.

Results: Of 232 screened patients, 102 entered the study, 52 men and 50 women with a mean age of 62.5 (SD+/-19.5) years. Twenty-nine (28.4%) patients were classified as undernourished and 73 as well-nourished. Nineteen of 25 (76%) undernourished patients showed a hypoalbuminaemia (30.5+/-6.5 g/l) compared with 74.5% (44/59) well-nourished patients (32.0+/-5.8 g/l, p 0.093). On average the length of hospital stay in undernourished patients was three days longer, which was statistically significant (p=0.009).

Conclusions: Prevalence of undernutrition in the present pilot study was high and compared well with results from former studies. Serum albumin concentration could not discriminate between well and undernourished patients. Undernourished patients indicated longer length of hospital stay.