Study of Clinicoetiological profile of hyponatremia patients admitted in Medical wards

Hyponatraemia is the most common electrolyte disorder in hospitalized patients. Its epidemiology depends on the serum sodium used to define hyponatraemia, which varies from study to study. It can be an early or even first sign of important underlying disease. It can be complicated by two types of neurological disorders cerebral oedema and osmotic demyelination syndrome. It is associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates in hospitalized patients, although it remains unclear whether these associations are mainly due to the underlying disease, direct effects of hyponatraemia, or a combination of both. Aims and Objectives - to study clinical profile of hyponatremia in hospitalized subjects. To study the aetiology of hyponatremia in hospitalized subjects. To assess morbidity and mortality due to hyponatremia. Materials and Methods - 100 patients with hyponatremia were studied. Most common symptoms were Lethargy and tremors, followed by headache, nausea, altered sensorium, convulsion and coma, in order. Hypervolemic hyponatremia is most common followed by euvolemic hyponatremia and hypovolemic hyponatremia. Euvolemic subjects had propensity to develop more severe and symptomatic hyponatremia. Dilutional hyponatremia is the most prevalent underlying pathophysiology of hyponatremia followed by diuretic use, SIADH, GI loss, Hypothyroidism, extra renal/GI loss and Cerebral salt wasting in order. Congestive cardiac failure was the most common cause of hypervolemic hyponatremia, followed by cirrhosis of liver and renal failure. Acute gastroenteritis was most common cause of hypovolemic hyponatremia. SIADH was the most common cause of euvolemic hyponatremia, followed by thiazide diuretics and hypothyroidism, in order.