ABSTRAKBackground: Community-acquired pneumonia is an acute infection of the lung parenchyma transmitted from the community with a high mortality rate. Predictors of mortality include the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) and CURB-65, and the biomarkers procalcitonin and D-dimers. Prealbumin (also known as transthyretin) is a biomarker for protein calorie malnutrition and has shown a positive correlation to negative patient outcomes in several different conditions. This study aims to study how prealbumin can be used as a predictor of mortality in CAP. Method: Articles were identified by searching 4 databases and screened for eligibility; 2 articles were eligible for this study. Assessment was done using the Quality in Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tools and the Prognosis Critical Appraisal form. Result: The two articles assessed in this study have found that prealbumin is correlated with negative outcomes, particularly mortality. The studies have found that the patients who died had low serum prealbumin levels at admission.
Conclusion: Serum prealbumin concentration is the preferred biomarker for protein calorie malnutrition as it is more sensitive compared to other biomarkers. There is a strong correlation between low serum prealbumin concentration upon admission with negative patient outcomes for patients with CAP. Further studies should include a wider range of subjects, specifically in age, and investigate the role of prealbumin as a predictor of malnutrition or inflammation and how it correlates to negative patient outcomes.
