Table 6

Patient characteristics by albumin status for the propensity matched patients


Albumin (n = 339)
No albumin (n = 339)
p value

Age, mean ± SD
62.6 ± 15.1
62.6 ± 17.1
0.365
Male gender (%)
221 (62.2)
206 (60.8)
0.693
Chronic diseases (%)



     COPD
37 (10.9)
33 (9.7)
0.614
     Cancer
61 (18.0)
62 (18.3)
0.921
     Heart failure
40 (11.8)
43 (12.7)
0.725
     Diabetes
27 (8.0)
34 (10.0)
0.347
     Liver cirrhosis
30 (8.8)
26 (7.7)
0.577
     Hematologic cancer
12 (3.5)
10 (2.9)
0.665
     HIV/AIDS
5 (1.5)
7 (2.1)
1.000
Surgical admissions (%)
208 (61.4)
215 (63.4)
0.579
SAPS II score, mean ± SD
41.7 ± 17.2
41.6 ± 18.1
0.664
SOFA score, mean ± SDa
7.1 ± 4.1
6.7 ± 4.4
0.126
Organ failurea



     Respiratory
106 (31.3)
100 (29.5)
0.616
     Hepatic
16 (4.7)
15 (4.4)
0.854
     Coagulation
39 (11.5)
27 (8.0)
0.120
     Renal
72 (21.2)
71 (20.9)
0.925
     CNS
70 (20.6)
79 (23.3)
0.404
     Cardiovascular
147 (43.4)
146 (43.1)
0.939
Sepsis syndromes (%)a



     Sepsis
120 (35.4)
132 (38.9)
0.441
     Severe sepsis
103 (30.4)
101 (29.8)
0.867
     Septic shock
57 (16.8)
50 (14.7)
0.461
Procedures (%)a



     Mechanical ventilation
259 (76.4)
255 (75.5)
0.720
     Pulmonary artery catheter
71 (20.9)
58 (17.1)
0.203
     Hemofiltration
23 (6.8)
17 (5.0)
0.335
     Hemodialysis
11 (3.2)
9 (2.7)
0.650
Mean fluid balance ± SD
0.2 ± 1.3
0.2 ± 1.4
0.474
Trauma
18 (5.3)
14 (4.1)
0.446
ICU mortality (%)
118 (34.8)
71 (20.9)
<0.001
Hospital mortality (%)
140 (41.3)
94 (27.7)
<0.001

aOn the day of albumin administration in the albumin group and on admission in the others. CNS, central nervous system; ICU, intensive care unit; IQ, interquartile range; SAPS, simplified acute physiology score; SD, standard deviation; SOFA, sequential organ failure assessment; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Vincent et al. Critical Care 2005 9:R745   doi:10.1186/cc3895