The utility of serum albumin values in the nutritional assessment of hospitalized patients.

Nutritional assessment was performed on 47 patients admitted to a nephrology service; renal failure was present in 39 of the 47 patients. Values for serum albumin, total iron binding capacity, arm muscle circumference, triceps skin fold, and percent of ideal body weight for height and sex were determined. The 25 patients who had low serum albumin values at admission stayed in the hospital significantly (P less than 0.025) longer than those who had normal serum albumin values. No other abnormal nutrition-related finding or combination of findings was associated with a significantly (P less than or equal to 0.05) longer hospital stay. Low serum albumin values were also found in 11 of the 15 patients with infection. Low serum albumin values were far and away the most common abnormal nutrition-related findings in these infected patients in addition to the finding significantly (P less than 0.025) associated with a longer hospital stay.