A Simple Estimate of the Effect of the Serum Albumin Level on the Anion Gap

Abstract

For intensive care patients with normal or high serum tCO(2) (>21 mEq/l) a simple bedside adjustment of the anion gap by subtracting 1.5 times the difference between measured serum albumin and the 'normal' level of 4.0 g/dl gives a close estimate of the actual anion gap. For intensive care patients with serum tCO(2) <22 mEq/l, correction of the anion gap is well predicted by adding about twice the Delta (albumin) to the calculated gap.