Microalbuminuria: A Diagnostic and Prognostic Tool in Patients Admitted in The Hospital with Sepsis

BACKGROUND Microalbuminuria, characterized by 30–300 mg/day of albumin excretion in urine, develops rapidly following an acute inflammatory event like sepsis and persists in patients with ensuing complications. It is commonly observed in critically ill individuals and has shown promise not only as an indicator of organ dysfunction and the necessity for vasopressors but also as a predictor of mortality”.Still, there is insufficient data, especially in LMICs, to fully understand its utility in projecting death among older sepsis subjects. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the clinical and microbiological aspects of sepsis, along with assessing the predictive value of urine albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR) or microalbuminuria in elderly sepsis patients treated in hospitals or ICUs. Early prediction of outcomes could lead to more effective and targeted treatments, ultimately improving the overall prognosis for sepsis patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS STUDY SITE:- The research was carried out in the Department of General Medicine at Sri Devraj Urs Academy of Higher Education and Research, Tamaka , Kolar -563101 SOURCE OF DATA:- Individuals coming to R.L.Jalappa Hospital and Research Centre attached to Sri Devraj URS Medical College affiliated to Sri Devaraj URS Academy of Higher Education and Research Centre,Tamaka,Kolar who fulfil the inclusion and exclusion criteria. STUDY DESIGN:- A prospective cross sectional study STUDY PERIOD:- Samples will be collected from patients during the period of 2022 to 2024 RESULTS In this study, the demographic composition revealed that the majority of participants were males, representing 66.6% of the total sample. In contrast, females constituted 33.4%. This gender distribution indicates a higher prevalence or higher enrolment rate of males in the study. The age range of the participants showed that a significant proportion, 66%, belonged to the 40-70 years age group. This suggests that middle-aged to elderly individuals were more affected or more likely to be included in the study. The average age of the patient was calculated to be 50.32 years with a standard deviation of 17.89 years indicating a wide range age range among the patients The study also suggests mortality rate of 20% . this death rate suggests severity of sepsis ,effective monitoring and intervention needed as early as possible.According to this study albumin creatinine ratio (ACR 2) at 24 hours after admission was measured in urine and median ACR2 among survived patients was 75.00 and among death patients was 187.00 .the p value was 0.049 indicating significant difference.so ACR 2 should be considered as a valuable prognostic marker. CONCLUSION Microalbuminuria is a promising diagnostic and prognostic tool for critically ill patients, especially those with sepsis. Its rapid, inexpensive, and non-invasive nature makes it suitable for widespread use, including in resource-limited settings. Serial measurements of microalbuminuria offer valuable insights into patient outcomes, enabling healthcare providers to identify high-risk patients early and tailor interventions accordingly. Given its potential to improve patient management and outcomes, microalbuminuria should be considered a standard component of critical care assessment”