Randomised Trials or the Test of Time? The Story of Human Albumin Administration

Abstract

This paper outlines the results and implications of a systematic review of randomised controlled trials of human albumin administration in critically ill patients that was conducted by the Cochrane Injuries Group Albumin Reviewers. The review raised serious concerns about the safety of an intervention that was widely used in healthcare settings throughout the world. It illustrates the important role of systematic reviews in healthcare and in other areas of social policy, and the risks inherent in implementing policy on the basis of theory alone.