Clinical features, outcome and cost of hyponatremia-associated admission and hospitalization in elderly and very elderly patients: a single-center experience in Turkey

• DOI: 10.1007/s11255-012-0307-9
• Publication Date: 2012-10-11T00:03:57Z
• Authors: K. Turgutalp; O. Ozhan; E. Gok Oguz; M. Horoz; A. Camsari; A. Yilmaz; A. Kiykim; M. Arici
• Keywords: Aged, 80 and over; Diarrhea; Analysis of Variance; Critical Care; Sodium Chloride Symporter Inhibitors; Sodium; Age Factors; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; Bacteremia; Acute Kidney Injury; Length of Stay; Severity of Illness Index; 3. Good health; Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Prevalence; Humans; Hospital Costs; Emergency Service, Hospital; Aged; Hyponatremia; Retrospective Studies

Hyponatremia is a common electrolyte disorder in hospitalized patients. Clinical features, outcome and cost of hyponatremia-associated admission and hospitalization in elderly and very elderly patients are not well known.Elderly (>64 years) patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) and hospitalized between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2010, were evaluated. Hyponatremia was defined as serum sodium level below 135 mmol/L. Hyponatremic patients were divided into two groups: group 1 (n = 150, 65-74 years old) and group 2 (n = 103, >74 years old).A total of 4,960 patients above 65 years of age admitted to ED and hospitalized were included. Prevalence of ED in group 1 and group 2 was 4.1 % (150/3,651) and 7.8 % (103/1,309), respectively (p < 0.001). Vomiting and diarrhea were the most important complaints. A total of 111 (43.8 %) patients were being treated with renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockers. Mortality, morbidity and hospital cost increased in parallel to decrease in serum Na(+) level and increase in age. Group 2 subjects had not only higher intensive care need (p < 0.01) and mortality rates (p < 0.01), but also higher hospital cost burden (p < 0.05) compared to group 1. Alzheimer's disease was one of the most common co-morbidity in patients, particularly in group 2 (5.3 % vs. 21.3 %, p < 0.001).Hyponatremia-associated hospitalization is an important and potentially lethal condition in elderly and very elderly patients. Clinicians should be careful when prescribing RAS blockers and diuretics in elderly patients.