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Complications of hypoalbuminemia (part 5)


Bangladeshpost
Published : 09 Dec 2021 08:39 PM | Updated : 11 Dec 2021 07:03 PM

Hypoalbuminemia can worsen the effects of other diseases. A found that people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and hypoalbuminemia were more likely to experience respiratory failure.

Other complications include:

• buildup of fluid, including around the lungs and stomach

• pneumonia

• muscle damage

Hypoalbuminemia may also decrease the effectiveness of certain medications that need to bind to albumin.

Outlook:

The outlook for hypoalbuminemia depends on how quickly the cause is identified and treated. The outlook for people diagnosed with low levels of albumin in the blood depends on the cause.

Prompt diagnosis and treatment can improve long-term outlooks. The right treatments can be lifesaving. Some research suggests that low albumin levels may predict worse outcomes in people who have to be hospitalised.

For example, followed 5,451 people whose albumin levels were tested after being admitted to a hospital emergency department. Those with low albumin tended to be older and remained in the hospital longer.

Overall, 16.3 percent of people with low albumin died in a 30-day period, compared to just 4.3 percent of people with normal albumin.

Read more: Treatment for hypoalbuminemia (part 3)

This suggests that measuring albumin levels and diagnosing the cause of low albumin could improve outcomes in people admitted to the hospital.

    Courtesy: Medical News Today

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