ALB and malnutrition: Hospitalization is associated with malnutrition in general, and protein malnutrition in particular, even in well dialyzed patients [53,62] and correlates with weight loss, reduction in albumin, and inflammation, particularly when the stay is prolonged and caused by inflammatory conditions [63]; we did not find a correlation of hospital stay with albumin <3.8 g/dl but it was negatively associated with mean albumin levels.