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[Therapeutic use of albumin: a discussion on its efficacy]
1Servicio de Cirugía General, Hospital General, Segovia.
The aim of our study is to discuss the current recommendations for the use of intravenous albumin in hypoalbuminemic patients obtained from a literature review. Some data available lead us to the belief that its use does not influence the clinical outcome of the patients, in most of the cases in which it is employed. Therefore its use should be limited to a certain number of clinical situations, in which its efficiency has been clearly shown, as in new-born in whom plasma expansion with small volume is necessary, in cases in which synthetic colloids cannot be employed, in massive paracentesis in cirrhotic patients, in selected cases of edema unresponsive to diuretics or other colloids in plasmapheresis, in kidney and liver transplant surgery.
The aim of our study is to discuss the current recommendations for the use of intravenous albumin in hypoalbuminemic patients obtained from a literature review. Some data available lead us to the belief that its use does not influence the clinical outcome of the patients, in most of the cases in which it is employed. Therefore its use should be limited to a certain number of clinical situations, in which its efficiency has been clearly shown, as in new-born in whom plasma expansion with small volume is necessary, in cases in which synthetic colloids cannot be employed, in massive paracentesis in cirrhotic patients, in selected cases of edema unresponsive to diuretics or other colloids in plasmapheresis, in kidney and liver transplant surgery.