A patient with metastatic lung cancer is suspected to have malnutrition. the nurse reviews the results of the serum albumin and serum prealbumin laboratory studies. how should the nurse interpret the findings?

There are choices for this question namely:

1. If the albumin level is normal, the patient does not have protein malnutrition.

2. The albumin level is an excellent indicator of acute changes in nutritional status.

3. Decreased levels of both indicate that malnutrition is present.

4. The prealbumin level more accurately reflects the patient's nutritional status.

The correct answer is that the prealbumin level more accurately reflects the patient's nutritional status. The first choice is wrong as the albumin can be normal in patients with protein malnutrition. The second choice is also wrong as the albumin is much better suited for screening for chronic malnutrition as albumin as a long half life of approximately 20 days. In the third choice, decreased levels of both, may indicate malnutrition, but may also indicate other diseases such as liver disease. The correct answer is the fourth choice as prealbumin has a higher sensitivity than albumin levels especially in monitoring the patient's current nutritional status as prealbumin has a short half life of approximately 2 days.