The effect of surgical trauma in post-operative albumin concentration after major surgeries

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the present study was to assess the effect of surgical trauma in serum albumin concentration during the immediate post-operative period of major surgeries. Methods: The study was conducted on 100 randomly chosen adult patients submitted to elective major surgeries, classified according to sex, age and skin color. Blood samples for the determination of serum albumin concentrations were obtained on the days before and after the surgical procedure. Rresults: There was a reduction in serum albumin from 3.72 g/dl ± 0.47 to 2.83 g/dl ± 0.71 (p < 0.0001) with no difference in sex or skin color for major surgeries. With respect to age groups, a greater drop in albumin was observed among patients aged over 65 years old, followed by younger patients (< 45 years), and finally by patients aged 45 to 65 years old. Cconclusions: Major operations lead to acute reduction in albumin concentration in the immediate post-operative period, and it was more intense in patients aged over 65 years old.

Keywords

• Serum albumin
• Age
• Sex
• Skin pigmentation
• Wounds and injuries
• Proteins
• Postoperative period