The clinical role of serum albumin in Organophospate poisoning.

This retrospective study investigated whether the serum albumin (SA) concentration at presentation is associated with mortality and the mechanism underlying the association. This study enrolled 217 patients poisoned with organophosphate (OP). Hypoalbuminemia (albumin <3.5 g/dL) at presentation was identified in 18.4% of the patients poisoned with OP. The hypoalbuminemia group experienced a more complicated clinical course and had a higher mortality rate than the normoalbuminemia and hyperalbuminemia groups. The SA concentration correlated with the CRP level at presentation but not with the body mass index in patients with OP poisoning. Furthermore, the change in the SA concentration during the first 24 hours also correlated with the change in BuChE activity in patients with fenitrothion poisoning. The SA concentration at presentation was independently associated with mortality after adjusting for inflammation and nutritional status. This study showed that the SA concentration at presentation is associated with the mortality risk of patients poisoned with OP. This association is independent of inflammation and nutritional status in OP poisoning, and in particular, the protective effect of SA might contribute to this association in fenitrothion poisoning. These results should be validated.