The Therapeutic Role of Albumin Infusions in Critical Care Medicine Management

Abstract

Human serum albumin is the most abundant plasma protein in humans, which plays an important role in maintaining oncotic pressure, fluid distribution, binding of certain proteins and ligands, as well as having important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions. It is still controversial whether its use as a resuscitation fluid and therapeutic agent in critical care medicine is beneficial. Although initial clinical evaluations questioned the potential hazards of the use of colloid, sufficiently large randomized controlled trials and more recent meta-analyses have helped to clarify the clinical usefulness of the use of colloid. This comprehensive review examines the physiological properties of albumin, reviews key clinical studies in various critical care populations, looks at specific indications including septic shock, cirrhosis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome, and considers new concepts in therapeutic paradigms related to albumin kinetics in critically ill patients.