Lactate/albumin index as mortality predictor in abdominal sepsis.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the predictive value of the lactate/albumin ratio (LAR) for mortality in patients with abdominal sepsis admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

METHODS

An analytical cross-sectional study to validate the diagnostic test for abdominal sepsis. Patients over 18 years old with a diagnosis of abdominal sepsis admitted to the ICU. The LAR was calculated in the first 24 hours of admission to the ICU to evaluate its prognostic value for mortality.

RESULTS

We included 85 patients diagnosed with abdominal sepsis. The main causes of abdominal sepsis are secondary to closed abdominal trauma with hollow organ injury in 22 patients (26%) and severe acute pancreatitis in 21 (25%) patients. The LAR was calculated with a cut-off point of 1.04 as a predictor of mortality for abdominal sepsis, with 90.6% sensitivity, 72.5% specificity, 66.5% positive predictive value and 92.75% negative predictive value.

CONCLUSIONS

The LAR may be useful in patients with abdominal sepsis as a quick, easy, and inexpensive prognostic marker of mortality, compared to other scales that require multiple values for their performance.