Serum-albumin as a prognostic indicator in oedematous malnutrition.

Examination of the records of 340 children admitted to hospital in Uganda with oedematous malnutrition (kwashiorkor) showed that the serum-albumin concentration at admission was closely related to mortality-rates. Furthermore, in this series, it was not possible to show a simple relation between mortality-rates and the degree of wasting present. The results further emphasise the need to include serum-albumin concentration in international classification systems for the assessment of protein-energy malnutrition, especially that of the kwashiorkor type.