Albumin for Cirrhotic Patients with Infections Unrelated to Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis

Previous studies have shown that intravenous albumin treatment improves survival and reduces risk for type 1 hepatorenal syndrome in cirrhotic patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP).

To determine if similar efficacy is possible in cirrhotic patients with non-SBP infections (e.g., urinary tract infections, pneumonia), investigators conducted a multicenter open-label, randomized trial involving 118 patients with advanced cirrhosis (creatinine >1.2 mg/dL, sodium <130 mEq/L, or total bilirubin >4 mg/dL) and non-SBP infection. Patients were assigned to receive antibiotics alone (control group) or antibiotics plus albumin (albumin group). The groups were similar at baseline except that patients in the albumin group had significantly…