Assessment of adult patients with hypernatremia: A single center experience

Abstract

Objective: In the present study, determination of symptoms, clinical characteristics, prevalence and recovery rates was aimed in patients who applied to the emergency service and diagnosed with hypernatremia. Methods: Patients who applied to Dicle University Medical School Emergency Service during January 2013-December 2014 and whose serum Na>148 mEq/L were included in the study. The study was conducted retrospectively. Results: Hypernatremia prevalence was determined as 0.21% in the cases who applied to the emergency service. The average age in all patients was 69±22 and the median age was 72 years. The average hospitalization period was 13.3±10.9 days. The mortality rate was 75.7% and male gender domination (56%) was determined in patients who developed mortality. When mortality and recovery groups were compared statistically; significant difference was determined (p<0.05) in terms of hospitalization period, glucose, urea, creatinine and calcium averages. The complaints of our patients who applied to the emergency service were changes in consciousness (92.7%), oral intake disorder (83.4%) and fever (48.6%) based on frequency order. The accompanying comorbid states were cerebrovascular illness (36.9%), Dementia/ Alzheimer (32.4%) and hypertension (28.9%) based on frequency order. Conclusion: Consequently, hypernatremia is a fluidelectrolyte disorder progressing with high mortality and could be observed in older patients and in patients whose oral intake is defective and who have cerebrovascular illness and dementia

Objective: In the present study, determination of symptoms, clinical characteristics, prevalence and recovery rates was aimed in patients who applied to the emergency service and diagnosed with hypernatremia. Methods: Patients who applied to Dicle University Medical School Emergency Service during January 2013-December 2014 and whose serum Na>148 mEq/L were included in the study. The study was conducted retrospectively. Results: Hypernatremia prevalence was determined as 0.21% in the cases who applied to the emergency service. The average age in all patients was 69±22 and the median age was 72 years. The average hospitalization period was 13.3±10.9 days. The mortality rate was 75.7% and male gender domination (56%) was determined in patients who developed mortality. When mortality and recovery groups were compared statistically; significant difference was determined (p<0.05) in terms of hospitalization period, glucose, urea, creatinine and calcium averages. The complaints of our patients who applied to the emergency service were changes in consciousness (92.7%), oral intake disorder (83.4%) and fever (48.6%) based on frequency order. The accompanying comorbid states were cerebrovascular illness (36.9%), Dementia/ Alzheimer (32.4%) and hypertension (28.9%) based on frequency order. Conclusion: Consequently, hypernatremia is a fluidelectrolyte disorder progressing with high mortality and could be observed in older patients and in patients whose oral intake is defective and who have cerebrovascular illness and dementia