Is low serum albumin associated with postoperative bronchopleural fistula in patients undergoing pulmonary resections?

A best evidence topic in thoracic surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether low serum albumin (sAlb) was associated with postoperative bronchopleural fistula (BPF) in patients undergoing pulmonary resections. Altogether 660 papers were found using the reported search, of which 5 retrospective cohort studies represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these papers are tabulated. Four of the 5 cohort studies showed that the preoperative sAlb level in patients who experience a BPF was significantly lower than that in patients who did not experience a BPF. One of the 5 studies also reported that the incidence of BPF in patients with a lower sAlb (13.6%) was found to be significantly higher than that in patients with a higher sAlb (7.0%). The level of hypoalbuminaemia is not defined, but it may be <3.5 g/dl. This cut-off value of sAlb is assumed from the currently available retrospective data. No prospective study has been reported to address this issue. In summary, low preoperative sAlb can serve as a significant risk factor for postoperative BPF in patients undergoing pulmonary resections.