Jpen Parenter Enter
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Jpen Parenter Enter · Mar 1997
Clinical characteristics of preoperative hypoalbuminemia predict outcome of cardiovascular surgery.
To define the clinical characteristics and outcome of preoperative hypoalbuminemia in adult cardiovascular surgery. ⋯ Preoperative hypoalbuminemia was attributed to malnutrition cachexia, liver insufficiency or congestive heart failure in < 50% of cardiac patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery. All types of hypoalbuminemia except for malnutrition cachexia increased the likelihood of postoperative organ dysfunction, nosocomial infections, prolonged mechanical ventilation, and death. The morbidity and mortality attributed to hypoalbuminemia could be explained by the underlying clinical characteristics rather than malnutrition cachexia in cardiac patients.