Randomised controlled trial of albumin infusion in ill preterm infants. Concurrent administration of albumin with total parenteral nutrition in sick newborn infants.
We assessed the effect of albumin infusion on weight loss and ventilation requirement in sick premature infants. Thirty infants, median gestational age 29 weeks, were entered into a randomised controlled trial, at a median of 2 days of age. The infants, all with an albumin level < or = 30 g/l, received either 5 ml/kg of 20% albumin or 5 ml/kg of their maintenance fluids (placebo), both given as part of the total daily fluid requirement. The response to the infusion was assessed by comparing two periods; 12 h immediately prior to the infusion and 12-24 h after the infusion. Albumin infusion was associated with a significant increase in albumin level and a significant reduction in weight, but in the placebo group there was a significant increase in weight. There were, however, no significant changes in the peak inspiratory pressure in response to either infusion. There was only a modest reduction (< 15%) in the inspired oxygen concentration, which occurred in both groups, but reached statistical significance only following the albumin infusion. We conclude that our results suggest that albumin infusion in "hypoalbuminaemic" sick preterm infants is unlikely to alter their respiratory status. The effects of concurrent administration of albumin with total parenteral nutrition were studied in 12 premature newborns (birth weight 1.26 +/- 0.1 kg [mean +/- SEM] and gestational age 30 +/- 0.8 weeks [mean +/- SEM]) compared with a control group of 12 premature newborns (birth weight 1.17 +/- 0.2 kg and gestational age 29 +/- 0.1 weeks) who received total parenteral nutrition. All newborns had a plasma albumin level below 3 g/dL and were in cardiorespiratory distress requiring assisted ventilation. Albumin supplementation of total parenteral nutrition resulted in a sustained increase in serum albumin concentration as well as increased mean arterial blood pressures in the study group. Slow albumin infusion had no observed effect on the severity of respiratory distress. Study group infants regained birth weight earlier than control group infants. These data suggest that the concurrent administration of albumin may be clinically beneficial in critically ill newborn infants.
There is a lack of evidence from randomised trials to determine whether the routine use of albumin infusion in preterm neonates with low serum albumin reduces mortality or morbidity and no evidence to assess whether albumin infusion is associated with significant side effects. There is a need for good quality, double-blind randomised controlled trials to assess the safety and efficacy of albumin infusions in preterm neonates with low serum albumin.