UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: Hypoalbuminemia and metabolic acidosis

Category: Critical Care

Keywords: anion gap, metabolic acidosis, hypoalbuminemia (PubMed Search)

Posted: 6/23/2008 by Mike Winters, MBA, MD (Updated: 7/15/2014)
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Correcting the Anion Gap for Hypoalbuminemia

Hypoalbuminemia is common in the critically ill patient
A low albumin can cause a normal anion gap despite a clinically significant acidosis
Don't forget to correct the anion gap in the critically ill patient with hypoalbuminemia
Corrected AG = measured AG + 2.5 x [(normal albumin)-(measured albumin)]