Use of albumin

BMJ 1995;311:129 (8 July)

Letters

Use of albumin

EDITOR,--Neil Soni concludes that the theoretical advantagesof albumin as a colloid replacement fluid are not translatedinto overt clinical benefits. Quite apart from this, albuminis extremely expensive: in our hospital 100 ml of 20% solutionand 500 ml of 5% solution each cost £30.

With the imminent introduction of invoicing of individual clinicaldepartments for blood products used, we audited the use of albumin,among other products, over 12 months. The four main users weregastroenterology (22.5 litres), general medicine (29 litres),paediatrics (109 litres), and general surgery (287 litres).In general surgery all the albumin was used for patients inthe intensive care unit, which now holds a separate budget fromthat of the department of surgery. The indications for usinghuman albumin solution, at a total cost during the year of £31680,were rarely based on published guidelines such as those in ABCof Transfusion.²