Consider validity, clinical relevance, and applicability of albumin for critically ill patients

BMJ 1998;317:343 ( 1 August )

Letters

Consider validity, clinical relevance, and applicability of albumin for critically ill patients

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EDITOR $---$ Because of a series of questions I have received about the current clinical use of human albumin in critically illpatients, I wish to clarify the message that I intended my editoriallast week to convey.¹

Given the current evidence as summarised by the Cochrane albumin reviewers group,² the use of albumin does not need be stopped totally and immediately yet. The use of albumin in clinical practice has changed since the trials that were included in the systematic review. In the past few years the quality of albumin solutions has improved; contaminations and clinically relevantside effects are further limited. Although there is currentlyno evidence from clinical studies to support this, albumin givenfor the right indications at the right dose and infusion rate,with an optimal product being used, may be safe and effectiveand could lead to better outcomes than were found by the . . . [Full text of this article]

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