Clinical Profile Of Hyponatraemia In Adult Patients Admitted To Hamad General Hospital, Qatar: Experience With 53 Cases
1419-1425
Correspondence
Dr. Ali Ibrahim Rahil, (MD) Attending physician,
Dept. of medicine, Hamad general hospital, Doha, Qatar.
Tel: 0974 4392489, 0974 5600465 Fax: 0974 4392745
P.O.Box- 3050, Doha-(Qatar) E-mail:ali_eljazwi@yahoo.com
Background: There is limited information about the clinical profile of hyponatraemia in Qatar.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the clinical presentation and aetiology of moderate and severe hyponatraemia in patients admitted to Hamad general hospital.
Patients And Methods: This descriptive observational hospital-based study was conducted at Hamad general hospital from June 2007 to July 2008; it involved all adult patients who were admitted to Hamad general hospital with moderate and severe hyponatraemia.
Results: During the 12-month study period, 53 consecutive patients with moderate and severe hyponatraemia were admitted to Hamad general hospital. 33 (62.3%) were males and 20 (37.7%) were females). The mean age of the patients was 56± 20 years (range of 17-93 years). Females had a significantly higher mean age than males (63.9±16.9 versus 51.6±21.2, p = 0.02). Hyponatraemia due to extra-renal sodium loss was the most frequent cause of hyponatraemia, it was found in 18 (33.9%) patients; whereas the aetiology of hyponatraemia remained unknown in four patients. Of all, 31 (58.4%) patients had moderate hyponatraemia, whereas 22 (41.6%) patients had severe hyponatraemia. Impairment of consciousness was found in 13 (24.5%), it ranged from confusion to coma in 13 patients with impairment of consciousness, 10 (76.9%) had severe hyponatraemia and 3 (9.6%) had moderate hyponatraemia.
Conclusions: Hyponatraemia due to extra-renal loss was the most frequent cause of hyponatraemia in our study; it was more prevalent among elderly patients than in younger patients. No significant gender related difference differences were found in the relative frequency rates. Moreover, no significant differences were found between moderate and severe hyponatraemia with respect to consciousness impairment.