Among patients who require nutritional resuscitation in an intensive care unit, the best evidence that nutritional suppo is adequate is: (A) Urinary nitrogen excretion levels, (B) Total serum protein level, (C) Serum albumin level, (D) Serum transferrin levels
Answer is C. .Because of its relationship to inflammation, serum albumin is no longer considered a good indicator of malnutrition or protein repletion. .However, a decreased serum albumin is considered an indicator of morbidity and moality and persons with low albumin levels are sometimes at nutritional risk for other reasons. ref Robbins 9/e pg 345