An article published in Spine examines preoperative serum albumin levels as a predictor of postoperative spinal fusion complications.
The article examined 136 consecutive spinal fusion patients at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. Here are four points from their findings:
1. There were 40 — 29.4 percent — patients who had at least one postoperative complication.
2. The elective surgery patients had a broader complication rate based on preoperative albumin levels. The rate was 35.7 percent among malnourished patients and 11.7 percent among nourished patients. Patients undergoing non-elective procedures had more similar complication rates, with 46.5 percent for malnourished and 42.1 percent for nourished patients.
3. Logical regression with and without propensity score adjustment for risk factors showed postoperative serum albumin levels as a significant predictor of postoperative complications for elective surgery patients.
4. The study authors recommended preoperative hypoalbuminemia should be used more frequently as a prognostic tool to detect malnutrition and the risk of adverse surgical outcomes.