Hypoalbuminaemia at admission predicts the poor outcomes in critically ill children

Background: Hypoalbuminaemia at admission is a common finding in patients admitted to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and it is thought that this may predict morbidity and mortality. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in the tertiary hospital. The medical records of critically ill children were reviewed. The data were analyzed for the prevalence of hypoalbuminaemia and outcomes. Results: Two hundred and two patients were included in the analysis. The incidence of hypoalbuminaemia at admission was 57.9%. These patients had a mortality rate 4 times greater (adjusted odds ratio 3.8; 95% CI: 1.4-10.0), a longer length of PICU stay (8.6 vs. 6.7 days, P = 0.04) and a longer period on a ventilator (5.9 vs. 3.9 days, P = 0.04) than patients with normal albumin levels. Conclusions: Hypoalbuminaemia at admission was a predictive factor of poor outcome in critically ill children. It is associated with a higher mortality, a longer length of stay in the PICU, as well as longer ventilator use.