pre albumin, which is metabolized by
the kidney, is not a good nutritional marker, as values are
routinely elevated. Albumin is a limited indicator of protein
nutriture, but is routinely used in evaluating ESRD patients'
nutritional status. Federal mandates require intervention at
levels below 4 g/dL. However, because of the complexity of
either acute or chronic inflammation, albumin remains
predictive of poor survival in ESRD. Hypoalbuminemia is
multifactorial and may be related to poor nutrition, inflammation,
or comorbid disease. When interpreting albumin
values, it is important to know the laboratory's methodology
for measuring serum albumin, because different laboratory
techniques give different results in renal failure