Does an albumin level <3.5 g/dL increase the risk of surgical site infection in orthopaedic patients?
Hypoalbuminemia (<3.5 g/dL) is associated with a nearly 2.5-fold increased risk of surgical site infection in orthopaedic surgery.
Our meta-analysis demonstrated that an albumin level <3.5 g/dL had an almost 2.5 fold increased risk of SSI in orthopaedics, although this conclusion requires well-designed prospective cohort studies to be confirmed further.
Yuwen et al. (Mon,) studied this question.