Background: Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening cause of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure associated with high mortality in intensive care units. Early identification of prognostic factors may improve patient management and outcomes. Objectives: To evaluate the clinical profile, etiological factors, severity, and outcomes of adult patients with ARDS admitted to the intensive care unit. Methods: This prospective observational study included 180 adult patients diagnosed with ARDS according to the Berlin Definition. Demographic characteristics, etiology, severity of ARDS, laboratory findings, ventilatory parameters, APACHE II score, SOFA score, complications, and clinical outcomes were recorded. Patients were followed until ICU discharge or death. Results: Of the 180 patients, 68 (37.8%) died during ICU stay. Pneumonia (41.1%) was the most common cause of ARDS, followed by sepsis (28.9%). Severe ARDS was significantly associated with increased mortality (p<0.001). Non-survivors had significantly higher APACHE II and SOFA scores, lower PaO₂/FiO₂ ratios, longer duration of mechanical ventilation, and higher incidences of acute kidney injury and multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (p<0.001). Multivariate analysis identified severe ARDS, SOFA score ≥10, APACHE II score ≥20, acute kidney injury, multiorgan dysfunction syndrome, and age >60 years as independent predictors of mortality. Conclusion: ARDS remains associated with considerable ICU mortality. Disease severity, organ dysfunction, and higher illness severity scores are major predictors of adverse outcomes. Early recognition, lung-protective ventilation, and comprehensive management of associated organ dysfunction are essential to improve survival in adult patients with ARDS.

Background: Early prediction of disease severity and mortality is essential in the management of critically ill patients. The lactate/albumin ratio (LAR) has emerged as a novel prognostic biomarker that combines indicators of tissue hypoperfusion and nutritional-inflammatory status. Objective: To evaluate the correlation between the lactate/albumin ratio, illness severity, and mortality in critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit. Methods: This prospective observational study included 150 critically ill adult patients admitted to the ICU of a tertiary care hospital. Serum lactate and albumin levels were measured within 24 hours of admission, and the lactate/albumin ratio was calculated. Disease severity was assessed using APACHE II and SOFA scores. The primary outcomes were correlation of LAR with illness severity and hospital mortality, while secondary outcomes included mechanical ventilation, vasopressor requirement, and ICU length of stay. Results: The mean age of the study population was 56.8 ± 16.4 years, and overall hospital mortality was 31.3%. Non-survivors had significantly higher lactate/albumin ratios than survivors (2.18 ± 0.71 vs. 0.82 ± 0.34; p < 0.001). The lactate/albumin ratio showed strong positive correlations with APACHE II (r = 0.71) and SOFA (r = 0.76) scores. Elevated LAR was significantly associated with increased need for mechanical ventilation, vasopressor support, prolonged ICU stay, and nearly six-fold higher odds of hospital mortality. Receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated excellent predictive performance for mortality with an AUC of 0.89. Conclusion: The lactate/albumin ratio is a reliable and cost-effective prognostic biomarker that correlates closely with disease severity and mortality in critically ill patients. Its routine use at ICU admission may improve early risk stratification and support timely clinical decision-making.

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains an important cause of hospitalization and mortality worldwide. Early identification of patients at risk for severe disease is essential for improving clinical outcomes. Serum albumin has emerged as a potential biomarker reflecting both nutritional status and systemic inflammation. Objectives: To evaluate the correlation between serum albumin levels, disease severity, and clinical outcomes in patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Methods: This prospective observational study included 160 adult patients admitted with community-acquired pneumonia. Serum albumin levels were measured within 24 hours of admission. Disease severity was assessed using CURB-65 and Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) scores. Patients were followed until discharge or death. Clinical outcomes including ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, duration of hospitalization, and in-hospital mortality were analyzed. Results: The mean serum albumin level was significantly lower among non-survivors than survivors (2.71 ± 0.39 vs. 3.48 ± 0.42 g/dL; p<0.001). Serum albumin showed a significant negative correlation with CURB-65 (r = −0.64) and PSI scores (r = −0.69) (p<0.001). Patients with hypoalbuminemia experienced significantly higher rates of ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, sepsis, prolonged hospital stay, and mortality. Multivariate logistic regression identified serum albumin <3.0 g/dL as an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality (OR 4.32; 95% CI 1.89–9.91; p<0.001). Conclusion: Hypoalbuminemia is strongly associated with increased disease severity and adverse clinical outcomes in community-acquired pneumonia. Serum albumin is an easily available and cost-effective prognostic marker that complements established severity scoring systems and may assist in early risk stratification and management.