This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (42)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Stemple D. Johnson, MD; Charles E. Lucas, MD; Stanley J. Gerrick, MD; Anna M. Ledgerwood, MD; Roger F. Higgins, PhD

Arch Surg. 1979;114(4):379-383.

Abstract
• Coagulation and need for postoperative blood and plasma therapy were studied in 94 injured patients requiring massive transfusions (average = 14.4); 46 patients, by random selection, received supplemental albumin. Albumin therapy increased total protein concentration (6.4 vs 5.8 g/dL), serum albumin level (4.2 vs 2.9 g/dL), and plasma volume (3,895 vs 3,579 mL) but not RBC volume (1,520 vs 1,530 mL). During the initial five postoperative days, patients receiving albumin required more transfusions (7.1 vs 3.8) and plasma (455 vs 317 mL). This increased need for blood and plasma correlated with a significant decrease in fibrinogen (238 vs 405 mg/dL) and prolongation of the prothrombin time (2.6 vs 1.4 seconds). The partial thromboplastin time was prolonged and the platelet concentration was decreased in albumin-treated patients, but not significantly. Deficiencies in specific coagulation factors have not yet been identified but are being studied. Impaired coagulation is another potential hazard of supplemental albumin therapy, which is probably contraindicated in injured patients.

(Arch Surg 114:379-383, 1979)

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Surgery, Wayne State University, Detroit.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Dec 12, 1978.

Read before the 86th annual meeting of the Western Surgical Association, Scottsdale, Ariz, Nov 13, 1978.

Reprint requests to Department of Surgery, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 (Dr Lucas).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Excess mortality after human albumin administration in critically ill patients
Offringa
BMJ 1998;317:223-224.
FULL TEXT  

Human albumin administration in critically ill patients: systematic review of randomised controlled trials • Why albumin may not work
Reviewers and Reviewers
BMJ 1998;317:235-240.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Analytic Reviews : Fluid Resuscitation in Head Injury
Shackford
J Intensive Care Med 1990;5:59-68.
ABSTRACT