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Hypoalbuminemia as a risk factor in complicated urinary tract infection in older adults
Hypoalbuminemia as a risk factor in complicated urinary tract infection in older adults
Gerardo Zárate-Muñoz 1 
, Jorge A. Morales-Treviño 1 , Dana Reyes-González 1 , Marisol Silva-Vera 2 , Alejandra A. Silva-Moreno 2 , Marcela Ortega-Jiménez 2
1 Departamento de Medicina Interna, Hospital General Regional No. 58, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, León, Guanajuato, México; 2 Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, División de Ciencias de la Salud e Ingenierías, Campus Celaya-Salvatierra, Universidad de Guanajuato, Celaya. Guanajuato, México
*Correspondence: Marisol Silva-Vera. Email: msilva@ugto.mx
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate hypoalbuminemia as a risk factor for developing complicated urinary tract infection with multidrug-resistant pathogens. Material and methods: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, and retrospective study was conducted, including 207 hospitalized patients. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were established to select participants. Descriptive analyses were performed, and correlations were calculated using statistical tests. Results: The analyzed group had a mean age of 73 years, with a prevalence of 75.4% for complicated UTI and 78.3% for sepsis. Most isolated pathogens were Escherichia coli (75.7%), with significant antimicrobial resistance to penicillin (87.9%) and cephalosporins (72.5%). Hypoalbuminemia was found in 51.6% of patients. Chi-square tests indicated that hypoalbuminemia, white blood cell count, anemia, and E. coli infection were risk factors for UTI (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Hypoalbuminemia was not significantly associated with the presence of UTI complicated by multidrug-resistant pathogens in this study. The results suggest the need for larger studies to better understand the relationship between these factors. The high antimicrobial resistance and comorbidities in the analyzed population underscore the complexity of managing UTI in older adults.
Keywords: Hypoalbuminemia. Urinary tract. Pathogens. Older adults.
