NoBlood

In 1998, the Cochrane Injuries Group did a meta-analysis of 30 randomized, controlled trials investigating human albumin administration in critically ill patients. The results showed that, in patients receiving albumin, the risk of death was 14%; whereas the patients who did not receive albumin had a much lower risk of death, only 8%. The results were published and widely publicized worldwide on T.V. and in print. There was immediate negative response on the part of the drug regulatory agencies, the plasma products industry, and the medical profession. The plasma products industry tried vigorously to prevent a decline in albumin sales as a result of the information contained in the study. However, albumin use declined drastically after the Cochrane analysis was published. This article, published in 2002, describes the original trials and the Cochrane study findings, details surrounding the opposing reactions, and the final result supporting the conclusion of the authors, namely that evidence from systematic reviews such as the Cochrane study can have significant effect on clinical care. Click here for options for acquiring the original article by Ian Roberts and Francis Bunn, both affiliated with Cochrane Injuries Group.

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Jan Grossberg, RN, BSN
Editorial Team