Pietro Caironi, Gianni Tognoni, Serge Masson, Roberto Fumagalli, Antonio Pesenti, Marilena Romero, Caterina Fanizza, Luisa Caspani, Stefano Faenza, Giacomo Grasselli, Gaetano Iapichino, Massimo Antonelli, Vieri Parrini, Gilberto Fiore, Roberto Latini, Luciano Gattinoni
BACKGROUND: Although previous studies have suggested the potential advantages of albumin administration in patients with severe sepsis, its efficacy has not been fully established. METHODS: In this multicenter, open-label trial, we randomly assigned 1818 patients with severe sepsis, in 100 intensive care units (ICUs), to receive either 20% albumin and crystalloid solution or crystalloid solution alone. In the albumin group, the target serum albumin concentration was 30 g per liter or more until discharge from the ICU or 28 days after randomization...
April 10, 2014: New England Journal of Medicine