SERUM-ALBUMIN IS A POOR PROGNOSTIC FACTOR FOR PRESSURE ULCER HEALING IN CONTROLLED CLINICAL-TRIALS

Serum albumin is a commonly used nutritional index which has been repo rted as a useful prognostic factor for a variety of patient outcomes. The usefulness of serum albumin as a prognostic factor for the healing of pressure ulcers has been unclear. This paper reports a retrospecti ve analysis of 119 hospitalized patients enrolled in randomized, doubl e-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials of several growth factors as potential new therapeutic agents for the healing of pressure ulcers . No significant correlation was found between the extent of pressure ulcer healing over a 29 day study period and the serum albumin concent ration upon entry into the study (r=0.06, p>0.2). Baseline serum album in concentrations ranged from 2.0g/dl to 4.8g/dl, and the change in ul cer volumes on day 29 compared to baseline ulcer volumes ranged from a 21% increase to complete closure. These results suggest that baseline serum albumin concentrations greater-than-or-equal-to 2.0g/dl have li ttle prognostic value for pressure ulcer healing in similar patient po pulations and may also be of limited value as an inclusion/exclusion c riterion in controlled clinical trials.