ALB and acute respiratory distress syndrome: With regard to laboratory values, patients with ARDS had higher procalcitonin [median 7.6 ng/mL (IQR, 2.6–33.2) vs median 0.9 ng/mL (IQR, 0.2–3.7); p < 0.001], lower albumin [median 2.5 g/dL (IQR, 2.1–2.9) vs median 2.9 g/dL (IQR, 2.4–3.5); p < 0.01], but not higher lactate [median 2.4 mEq/L (IQR, 1.5–3.5) vs median 2.0 mEq/L (IQR, 1.3–3.4); p = 0.24], than those without ARDS.