• Rosalyn Chi, Anthony J Perkins, Yara Khalifeh, Parth Savsani, Samreen Jawaid, Salwa Moiz, Sophia Wang, Sikandar H Khan, Sujuan Gao, and Babar A Khan.
• Rosalyn Chi is a research fellow, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep, and Occupational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis.
• Am. J. Crit. Care. 2024 Nov 1; 33 (6): 412420412-420.

BackgroundHypoalbuminemia has been associated with an increased risk of in-hospital delirium. However, the relationship between serum albumin levels and the duration and severity of delirium is not well defined.ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between albumin levels and delirium duration and severity.MethodsStudy data were from a randomized controlled trial involving adult intensive care unit patients (≥ 18 years old) admitted to 3 academic hospitals from 2009 to 2015 who had positive delirium screening results on the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit-7. Delirium severity was defined by mean Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit-7 scores by day 8. Delirum duration was defined by the number of delirium-free and coma-free days by day 8. Serum albumin levels within 72 hours of intensive care unit admission were collected from electronic medical records.ResultsThe study included 237 patients (mean age, 60.3 years; female sex, 52.7%; receiving mechanical ventilation, 59.5%; acute respiratory failure or sepsis, 57.8%). Serum albumin levels were categorized as 3 g/dL or greater (n = 13), 2.5 to 2.99 g/dL (n = 142), and less than 2.5 g/dL (n = 82). After adjustment for demographic and clinical characteristics, no significant associations between albumin levels and delirium duration or severity were found. However, patients with normal albumin levels (≥3 g/dL) had shorter stays than did patients with hypoalbuminemia.ConclusionIn patients with delirium, higher albumin levels were associated with shorter hospital stays but not with delirium duration or severity.©2024 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

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