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The Renal Effect of 20% Human Albumin Solution Fluid Bolus Therapy in Patients After Cardiac Surgery. A Secondary Analysis of the HAS FLAIR II Randomized Clinical Trial

Geoffrey J. Wigmore, A. Deane, J. Presneill, A. Serpa, G. Eastwood, M. Maiden, S. Bihari, Robert A. Baker et al.

Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, 2025

452 participants · 6 citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effects of fluid bolus therapy (FBT) with 20% albumin to crystalloid FBT on the incidence of cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI) and its severity and duration.

DESIGN

Secondary analysis of the multicenter, parallel-group, open-label, randomized HAS FLAIR-II trial.

SETTING

Six intensive care units.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients who required clinician-determined FBT after cardiac surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass.

INTERVENTIONS

Patients were randomized to receive FBT with 20% albumin (up to 400 mL/day) or crystalloid fluid for all FBTs in the intensive care unit.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

A total of 452 patients were included in the modified intention-to-treat population (224 in the 20% albumin group and 228 in the crystalloid group). AKI occurred in 54 (24%) patients in the 20% albumin group and 50 (22%) in the crystalloid group (odds ratio: 1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.73 to 1.76). However, in patients who developed stages 2 and 3 AKI, those allocated to 20% albumin had a significantly lower median time-weighted average (TWA) creatinine: 144 µmol/L (interquartile range [IQR]: 109 to 162) versus 254 µmol/L (IQR: 182 to 294) than the crystalloid group (difference -105 µmol/L, [95% CI -170 to -41], p = 0.003) and a lower peak serum creatinine (-110 µmol/L [-189 to -32], p = 0.01). The reduced TWA creatinine in the 20% albumin group was seen in patients with both a low (p = 0.04) and normal preoperative serum albumin…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a secondary / pooled analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 452 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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