Hypoalbuminemia

Hypoalbuminemia
Other names	Hypalbuminosis
Structure of albumin
Specialty	Internal Medicine, Pediatrics
Symptoms	Peripheral edema; ascites; effusions; fatigue; generalized weakness
Complications	Hypovolemia, Circulatory collapse, Zinc deficiency, Hyperlipidemia
Causes	Malabsorption (Protein Losing Enteropathy)
Diagnostic method	Level below 3.5 grams per deciliter
Treatment	Albumin infusion in hepatic resection (>40%), nephrotic syndrome (with diuretics and corticosteroids), spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (with antibiotics), and hepatorenal syndrome (with terlipressin)
Frequency	70% (elderly inpatients)

Hypoalbuminemia (or hypoalbuminaemia) is a medical sign in which the level of albumin in the blood is low.^[1] This can be due to decreased production in the liver, increased loss in the gastrointestinal tract or kidneys, increased use in the body, or abnormal distribution between body compartments. Patients often present with hypoalbuminemia as a result of another disease process such as malnutrition as a result of severe anorexia nervosa, sepsis, cirrhosis in the liver, nephrotic syndrome in the kidneys, or protein-losing enteropathy in the gastrointestinal tract. One of the roles of albumin is being the major driver of oncotic pressure (protein concentration within the blood) in the bloodstream and the body. Thus, hypoalbuminemia leads to abnormal distributions of fluids within the body and its compartments. As a result, associated symptoms include edema in the lower legs, ascites in the abdomen, and effusions around internal organs. Laboratory tests aimed at assessing liver function diagnose hypoalbuminemia. Once identified, it is a poor prognostic indicator for patients with a variety of different diseases. Yet, it is only treated in very specific indications in patients with cirrhosis and nephrotic syndrome. Treatment instead focuses on the underlying cause of the hypoalbuminemia. Albumin is an acute negative phase respondent and not a reliable indicator of nutrition status.