Albumin Infusion Therapy in Critical Patients

Human albumin has been the area of interests and research for the last 65 years. A major advance in our understanding of albumin has been achieved as complete gene sequence and the location of mutations of albumin was unfolded. Clinical uses of albumin were first introduced during the Second World War when adequate plasma supply was not possible due to logistical complexities. In the 1950s, this protein was introduced for management of patients with liver cirrhosis however differing opinions exist amongst hepatologists. Critical illness causes changes in the rates of synthesis and degradation of albumin and this illness also alters the distribution of albumin protein between intravascular and extravascular spaces. The human albumin level which falls in early part of critical illness will not easily rise again until the recovery phase of that illness. Giving exogenous albumin to increase the intravascular albumin concentration during critical illness is beneficial, although the kinetics of albumin given intravenously will differ greatly between critically ill-patients and healthy individuals. This review aims to discuss current opinion, interest and clinical application of albumin infusion therapy and will inspect the role of albumin in health and critical illness. Bangladesh Crit Care J September 2018; 6(2): 88-91