Wong YJ, Kumar R, Chua YJJ, Ang TL. Long-term albumin infusion in decompensated cirrhosis: A review of current literature . World J Hepatol 2021; 13(4): 421-432 [PMID: 33959225 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v13.i4.421]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Tiing Leong Ang, FASGE, FRCP, MBBS, Attending Doctor, Chief Physician, Professor, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Changi General Hospital, 2 Simei Street 3, Singapore 529889, Singapore. ang.tiing.leong@singhealth.com.sg
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Hepatol. Apr 27, 2021; 13(4): 421-432 Published online Apr 27, 2021. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v13.i4.421
Long-term albumin infusion in decompensated cirrhosis: A review of current literature
Yu Jun Wong, Rahul Kumar, Yu Jing Jonathan Chua, Tiing Leong Ang
Yu Jun Wong, Rahul Kumar, Tiing Leong Ang, Department ofGastroenterology and Hepatology, Changi General Hospital, Singapore 529889, Singapore
Yu Jing Jonathan Chua, Department of Internal Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore 117597, Singapore
Author contributions: Wong YJ performed the study concept and design; Wong YJ and Chua YJJ performed the systematic review of literature, drafting the manuscript; Kumar R and Ang TL performed the critical review of the manuscript.
Supported byNurturing Clinician Scientist Scheme Award by SingHealth Duke-NUS Medicine Academic Medicine Programme (Medicine ACP), Changi General Hospital Research Grant.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Tiing Leong Ang, FASGE, FRCP, MBBS, Attending Doctor, Chief Physician, Professor, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Changi General Hospital, 2 Simei Street 3, Singapore 529889, Singapore. ang.tiing.leong@singhealth.com.sg
Received: February 17, 2021 Peer-review started: February 17, 2021 First decision: March 16, 2021 Revised: March 22, 2021 Accepted: April 13, 2021 Article in press: April 13, 2021 Published online: April 27, 2021 Processing time: 57 Days and 23.8 Hours
Abstract
Decompensated cirrhosis is characterized by chronic inflammation and severe portal hypertension leading to systemic circulatory dysfunction. Albumin infusion has been widely used in decompensated cirrhosis in patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, large-volume paracentesis and hepatorenal syndrome. Emerging data suggest long-term albumin infusion has both oncotic and non-oncotic properties which may improve the clinical outcomes in decompensated cirrhosis patients. We review the current literature on both the established and potential role of albumin, and specifically address the controversies of long-term albumin infusion in decompensated cirrhosis patients.
Core Tip: Decompensated cirrhosis is characterized by chronic inflammation and severe portal hypertension leading to systemic circulatory dysfunction. Albumin infusion has been widely used in decompensated cirrhosis in patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, large-volume paracentesis and hepatorenal syndrome. Emerging data suggest long-term albumin infusion has both oncotic and non-oncotic properties which may improve the clinical outcomes in decompensated cirrhosis patients.
