European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Serum albumin has been the subject of extensive studies as a prognostic marker in various contexts. This study aimed to estimate the role of serial serum albumin estimation as a prognostic marker in critically ill patients who were admitted in the ICU
INTRODUCTION
Albumin is an abundant serum proteins in humans. It has numerous important properties and functions in healthy and diseased people. [1] It transports a large range of exogenous and endogenous substances and thus it can affect the metabolism and elimination of many drugs. In healthy persons, serum albumin is accountable for 75 to 80% of the plasma osmotic pressure and plays a crucial role in the distribution of fluid between extracellular compartments. Antiplatelet properties are also possessed by serum Albumin 5,[2] and have important role in the elimination of oxygen free radicals6,7 [3,4] and also play role in maintaining vascular integrity8.[5] As compared to other colloids, albumin appears to decrease capillary fluid permeability9 [6] and has no adverse effect on the viscosity of blood10.[7] Anti-inflammatory activity possessed by serum albumin has a beneficial effect in patients with sepsis11,12 [8,9]