Serum albumin levels on the third POD can predict morbidity and mortality for colon and rectal carcinoma in older patients undergoing colorectal resections.
On multivariate analysis, lower average level of serum albumin on POD1 and POD3 {odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 7.53 (1.60-55.80), p = 0.0095}, higher average level of serum white blood cells on POD1 and POD3 [OR (95% CI) = 7.24 (1.40-59.25), p = 0.0165], and surgery for rectal cancer [OR (95% CI) = 15.18 (3.26-93.99), p = 0.0004] were independent risk factors for anastomotic leakage.
As a low-cost and easy accessible test, serum albumin should be used as a prognostic tool to detect patients at risk for adverse outcomes after resection for rectal cancer.
Patients with both low serum albumin and high BMI had the highest incidence of iSSIs (34.2%), and the group with rectal cancer and low serum albumin had the highest incidence of o/sSSIs (57.1%).