Hypoalbuminemia in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants / 대한주산의학회잡지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We investigated the incidence and clinical course of hypoalbuminemia and identified relevance of prognosis including mortality in extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWIs). Also, we assessed the efficacy of intravenous albumin infusion. METHODS: A retrospective study including 83 preterm infants or =2.5 g/dL serum albumin, n=42) group and the hypoalbuminemia ( or =grade III, 4.9%), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC, > or =stage IIa, 46.3%), pneumonia (4.9%), sepsis (24.4%). In univariate analysis, there were no statistically significant differences in major morbidities such as PDA, IVH, NEC, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and mortality between the normoalbuminemia and the hypoalbuminemia groups except gestational age (26+6+/-2+1 vs. 26+0+/-1+5, P=0.045) and birth weight (868+/-117 vs. 783+/-121, P=0.002). In multivariate logistic regression, birth weight is the only meaningful factor associated with hypoalbuminemia (OR.995, 95% CI .990-.999, P=0.019). The mortality (47.2% vs. 0%, P=0.065) and morbidities did not differ between the intravenous albumin infusion and the control group. CONCLUSION: In ELBWIs, there were no significant differences in major morbidities and mortality between the hypoalbuminemia and the normoalbuminemia groups. The lower birth weight is the only factor associated with hypoalbuminemia. In addition, major morbidities and mortality rate were not affected by the albumin infusion.