Serum albumin is predictive of 30-day survival after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy

Background: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tubes have been used since 1980 in patients who require prolonged enteral feeding. Purpose: To identify factors associated with poor survival (defined as survival <30 days) post-PEG. Methods: me assessed a cohort of 64 patients consecutively referred for a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube in a single, tertiary care hospital. Prior to PEG tube placement, we evaluated relevant clinical variables in each patient to determine their effect on 30-day mortality. Results: Of the cohort, 43 of 64 (67.2%) survived at least 30 days after tube placement. One death was attributable to tube placement. Bivariate analyses showed that 30-day survival correlated directly with serum albumin (r = .253; p = .049) and inversely with creatinine (r = -0.255; p = .042). Using multivariable logistic regression analysis, only albumin was identified as an independent predictor of 30-day survival (p = .044). Eighty-three percent of patients with a serum albumin greater than or equal to 3.0 g/dL, survived 30 days compared with 58% with an albumin <3.0, a difference of 25% (95% CI, -2% to 54%; p = .07). Conclusions: In conclusion, serum albumin appears to be a predictor of early survival in individuals undergoing percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placement.