Albumin Meta-Analysis
Authors: Mahlon M. Wilkes, Roberta J. Navickis
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2001)

Letters4 December 2001Albumin Meta-AnalysisMahlon M. Wilkes, PhD and Roberta J. Navickis, PhDMahlon M. Wilkes, PhDHygeia Associates; Grass Valley, CA 95949Note: The authors also acknowledged in their cover letter that they had served as consultants to the Plasma Protein Products Therapeutics Association. They further disclosed that they otherwise held no financial interest of any kind in the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association, any albumin products, or products competing with albumin.—The Editor Search for more papers by this author and Roberta J. Navickis, PhDHygeia Associates; Grass Valley, CA 95949Note: The authors also acknowledged in their cover letter that they had served as consultants to the Plasma Protein Products Therapeutics Association. They further disclosed that they otherwise held no financial interest of any kind in the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association, any albumin products, or products competing with albumin.—The Editor Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-135-11-200112040-00024 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:Gibney asserts that our meta-analysis “fails to demonstrate indications for colloid” and was biased in favor of albumin therapy because of industry funding. Our meta-analysis addressed albumin safety broadly, in the context of a previous meta-analysis suggesting excess albumin-associated mortality (1). We did not try to assess the efficacy of albumin therapy for particular indications. Optimally, such an assessment would encompass additional clinically relevant end points, such as morbidity and length of stay, rather than solely mortality, which is a comparatively insensitive end point in large populations of acutely ill patients. In several randomized trials, significant differences between ...References1. . Human albumin administration in critically ill patients: systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Cochrane Injuries Group Albumin Reviewers. BMJ. 1998;317:235-40. [PMID: 9677209] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Brown RO, Bradley JE, Bekemeyer WB, Luther RW. Effect of albumin supplementation during parenteral nutrition on hospital morbidity. Crit Care Med. 1988;16:1177-82. [PMID: 3142719] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Prien T, Backhaus N, Pelster F, Pircher W, Bünte H, Lawin P. Effect of intraoperative fluid administration and colloid osmotic pressure on the formation of intestinal edema during gastrointestinal surgery. J Clin Anesth. 1990;2:317-23. [PMID: 1702977] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Pockaj BA, Yang JC, Lotze MT, Lange JR, Spencer WF, Steinberg SM, et al . A prospective randomized trial evaluating colloid versus crystalloid resuscitation in the treatment of the vascular leak syndrome associated with interleukin-2 therapy. J Immunother. 1994;15:22-8. [PMID: 8110727] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Gentilini P, Casini-Raggi V, Di Fiore G, Romanelli RG, Buzzelli G, Pinzani M, et al . Albumin improves the response to diuretics in patients with cirrhosis and ascites: results of a randomized, controlled trial. J Hepatol. 1999;30:639-45. [PMID: 10207805] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Hygeia Associates; Grass Valley, CA 95949Note: The authors also acknowledged in their cover letter that they had served as consultants to the Plasma Protein Products Therapeutics Association. They further disclosed that they otherwise held no financial interest of any kind in the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association, any albumin products, or products competing with albumin.—The Editor PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoPatient Survival after Human Albumin Administration Mahlon M. Wilkes and Roberta J. Navickis Albumin Meta-Analysis Eric M. Gibney Metrics Cited byHydroxyethyl Starch-Induced Postoperative Bleeding in Cardiac Surgery Patients 4 December 2001Volume 135, Issue 11Page: 1009KeywordsAlbuminsForecastingLength of stayMorbidityMortalityPlasma proteinsPopulation statisticsRandomized trialsRelative riskSafety ePublished: 4 December 2001 Issue Published: 4 December 2001 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2001 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...