• Stefan J Schaller, Kristina Fuest, Bernhard Ulm, Sebastian Schmid, Catherina A B Bubb, Hans-Henning Eckstein, Rüdiger von Eisenhart-Rothe, Helmut Friess, Chlodwig Kirchhoff, Peter Luppa, Manfred Blobner, and Bettina Jungwirth.
• Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany.
• Ann. Surg. 2024 Mar 1; 279 (3): 402409402-409.

ObjectiveTo investigate whether goal-directed albumin substitution during surgery and postanesthesia care to maintain a serum albumin concentration >30 g/L can reduce postoperative complications.BackgroundHypoalbuminemia is associated with numerous postoperative complications. Since albumin has important physiological functions, substitution of patients with hypoalbuminemia is worth considering.MethodsWe conducted a single-center, randomized, controlled, outcome assessor-blinded clinical trial in adult patients, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification 3 to 4 or undergoing high-risk surgery. Patients, whose serum albumin concentration dropped <30 g/L were randomly assigned to goal-directed albumin substitution maintaining serum concentration >30 g/L or to standard care until discharge from the postanesthesia intermediate care unit. Standard of care allowed albumin substitution in hemodynamic instable patients with serum concentration <20 g/L, only. Primary outcome was the incidence of postoperative complications ≥2 according to the Clavien-Dindo Classification in at least 1 of 9 domains (pulmonary, infectious, cardiovascular, neurological, renal, gastrointestinal, wound, pain, and hematological) until postoperative day 15.ResultsOf 2509 included patients, 600 (23.9%) developed serum albumin concentrations <30 g/L. Human albumin 60 g (40-80 g) was substituted to 299 (99.7%) patients in the intervention group and to 54 (18.0%) in the standard care group. At least 1 postoperative complication classified as Clavien-Dindo Classification ≥2 occurred in 254 of 300 patients (84.7%) in the intervention group and in 262 of 300 (87.3%) in the standard treatment group (risk difference -2.7%, 95% CI, -8.3% to 2.9%).ConclusionMaintaining serum albumin concentration of >30 g/L perioperatively cannot generally be recommended in high-risk noncardiac surgery patients.Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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