[ASSOCIATION OF SERUM ALBUMIN AND SUBJECTIVE GLOBAL ASSESSMENT ON INCIDENT PERITONEAL DIALYSIS PATIENTS].

INTRODUCTION: serum albumin the biomarker most frequently used as one of three biochemical criteria for diagnosis of protein energy wasting (PEW). However, as a nutritional parameter it's unreliable in chronic kidney disease (CKD). The subjective global assessment (SGA) has been recommended for nutritional evaluation and the PEW in CKD.

OBJECTIVE: determine association between the levels of serum albumin and SGA in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) who started peritoneal dialysis (PD).

METHODS: a cross-sectional study in patients with ESRD were evaluated prior to starting PD. Levels of serum albumin were determined and nutritional assessment was performed by SGA.

RESULTS: 69 patients, 46 (67%) men and 23 (33%) women, average age 39.97 ± 18.30 years old, serum albumin 2.75 ± 0.65 g/dl, creatinine 18.91 ± 10.98 mg/dl, urea 314.80 ± 152.74 mg/dl and BMI 23.37 ± 3.79 kg/m2, median of GFR 3 (1-12) mL/min/1.73m2. The SGA showed that 34.8% was well nourished, 40.6% had risk of moderate PEW and the 24.6% had severe PEW. There was no association (p = ns) between the levels of serum albumin and SGA.

CONCLUSION: the present study shows hypoalbuminemia and PEW are very frequent. The identification of levels of serum albumin and SGA at the beginning of PD in our population could be predictors of mortality. Serum albumin is not a useful tool for nutritional assessment in patients with ERSD who initiate PD.