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. 2024 Jan 18;14(1):e079327.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-079327.

Cross-sectional study investigating the relationship between pit recovery time and serum albumin levels in bilateral lower extremity pitting oedema

Ryosuke Ono  1   2 , Ken Horibata  3   2
Affiliations

Cross-sectional study investigating the relationship between pit recovery time and serum albumin levels in bilateral lower extremity pitting oedema

Ryosuke Ono et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Objectives: In this study, we re-evaluated the relationship between pit recovery time (PRT) and serum albumin levels and elucidated the factors influencing PRT.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Patients who visited the outpatient department or were admitted to a small urban hospital in Japan.

Participants: 135 adult Japanese patients with bilateral lower extremity pitting oedema.

Interventions: Primary and secondary outcome measures: this study assessed the correlation between PRT and serum albumin levels, calculated the predictive accuracy for identifying a group with low albumin levels when the PRT of the lower leg was <40 s, and identified variables that influence PRT.

Results: We found no significant correlation between lower leg PRT and serum albumin levels. Furthermore, a PRT of <40 s was largely ineffective in predicting low albumin levels. Factors influencing PRT included the diagnosis of malnutrition oedema, examinations conducted during hospitalisation, diagnosis of cardiac oedema, use of diuretics, thickness of the lower limb soft tissue, serum creatinine level, estimated right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP), age, serum albumin level, potassium level and blood urea nitrogen to serum creatinine ratio. Notable correlations with PRT were observed in relation to lower limb soft tissue thickness, age and estimated RVSP.

Conclusions: Given that the PRT is influenced by multiple factors, its correlation with serum albumin levels is weak. Thus, predicting hypoalbuminaemia based solely on PRT is inaccurate.

Keywords: GENERAL MEDICINE (see Internal Medicine); INTERNAL MEDICINE; Physical Examination.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart of participant inclusions, measurements and statistical analysis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Correlation between serum albumin levels and oedema in the lower legs and dorsal feet.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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