HYPOALBUMINEMIA IN CARDIAC SURGICAL PICU PATIENTS

Abstract

Objective: The aim is to study frequency of hypoalbuminemia and examine factors associated with
hypoalbuminemia in critically ill-children.
Study Design: Descriptive cross sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology & National Institute of Heart Diseases
Rawalpindi, from Jan 2016 to Sep 2016.
Material and Methods: This prospective study measured the serum albumin concentration of 153 children
admitted to Peads intensive care unit after congenital heart disease surgery. Data was collected from PICU
registry included demographic profile (age, sex, and weight), clinical findings and postoperative complications.
Data was entered and analyzed in IBM SPSS Statistics 22 (statistical package for social sciences).
Results: Mean albumin level was 31.8 mg/dl (Range 8-56 mg/dl). Patients with albumin more than 25 mg/dl
were 132 (86%) and patients with albumin less than 25 mg/dl were 21 (14%). 13 (62%) patients with
hypoalbuminemia were females. Average ICU stay of patients with hypoalbuminemia was 211 ± 458 hours.
Average ventilation time of patients with hypoalbuminemia was 49 ± 103 hours.
Conclusion: Hypoalbuminemia is the prominent factor in post operative congenital heart disease patients. It is
strongly correlated with the type of defect, cyanosis and it effects the post operative complications like ICU stay,
ventilation duration and urine output of the patients.