Effect of Preoperative Albumin Levels on Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Left Ventricular Device Implantation.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

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Source

Source Name: ASAIO Journal

Source URL: http://journals.lww.com/asaiojournal/Abstract/publishahead/Effect_of_Preoperativ…

Author(s)

Go, Pauline H.; Hodari, Arielle; Nemeh, Hassan W.; Borgi, Jamil; Lanfear, David E.; Williams, Celeste T.; Paone, Gaetano; Morgan, Jeffrey A.

A single institution retrospectively reviewed the correlation of preoperative serum albumin level with outcomes after LVAD implantation from 2006 to 2014. A lower albumin level was associated with a significant increase in postop renal failure and prolonged hospitalization, but not overall short-term and long-term survival.

Comments

Submitted by Michael Sanford on Thu, 2015-08-13 18:31

We have always known that prolonged CPB causes protein breakdown usually by laying down of a protein layer on filters, oxygenator membranes and even tubing. We have always given 25% albumin to older patients and patients who had been on bypass for a length of time. Extrapolating that to VAD's is just common sense. Back in 1978 when Denton Cooley implanted a VAD into a patient who had emergent MVR-AVR and later on, a renal transplant/cardiac transplant, the surgical team had difficulties maintaining normal albumin levels and it seemed that a constant IV dose of either 25% albumin or normal albumin was given knowing that Na++ could cause problems with the patients impaired renal function. Needless to say, even in 1978, albumin was considered to be a planned therapy for those undergoing long term ECMO/VAD and it still is today.