Hypernatremia in critically ill elderly patients is associated with poor prognosis
Acta Medica Mediterranea, cilt.37, sa.5, 2021 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 37 Sayı: 5
- Basım Tarihi: 2021
- Doi Numarası: 10.19193/0393-6384_2021_5_373
- Dergi Adı: Acta Medica Mediterranea
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, EMBASE
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Hypernatremia, elderly, intensive care unit, sepsis, prognosis, mortality
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Introduction: Sodium is a vital electrolyte that sustains the human body's osmotic balance. An abnormal sodium level can impair cellular and muscular functions. The relationship between a high serum sodium level (hypernatremia) and prognosis of critically ill elderly patients needs to be determined. The present study aimed to compare the mortality rate in critically ill elderly and adult patients with hypernatremia. Materials and methods: The study included critically ill patients admitted to the general ICU. The patients were divided into 2 groups, as adults (age 18-64 years) and elderly (age ≥65 years). The prevalence of hypernatremia, the mortality rate, and mortalityrelated factors were compared between the groups. Results: The data of 905 patients were analyzed. The prevalence of hypernatremia in all patients was 8.2% (n = 74). The prevalence of hypernatremia was twice as high in the elderly group than in the adult group (11% vs. 5%; P = 0.0001). Of the patients with hypernatremia, the mortality rate during the follow-up period was 61% in the elderly group, versus 53% in the adult group. Being elderly (P = 0.0105) and female (P = 0.0001), or having a high APACHE II score (P = 0.0001), cardiovascular disease (P = 0.0398), respiratory disease (P = 0.0008), stroke (P = 0.0002), and sepsis (P = 0.0006) were associated with mortality. Conclusion: The prevalence of hypernatremia and the hypernatremia-related mortality rate were seen to be higher in the elderly patients than in the adult patients. Moreover, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and sepsis were determined to be significant risk factors for mortality in elderly patients with hypernatremia.