European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine

Background:  This study was conducted to determine the clinico-etiological profile and outcome of hyponatremia in elderly hospitalised patients. Methods: This was a hospital-based observational study conducted among 50 patients aged more than 50 years who were admitted to the Department of General Medicine, Narayana Medical College, Nellore, with hyponatremia, over a period of 18 months from December 2019 to May 2021 after obtaining clearance from the institutional ethics committee and written informed consent from the study participants. Results: Out of 50 subjects, the majority were from the age group of 71–80 years (62%), and males (64%) were comparatively more compared to females (36%). The most common co-morbidity was hypertension (46%), followed by f/b diabetes mellitus (34%). Among the CNS symptoms, altered sensorium is the most common (36%). Of the individuals, 58% had euvolemia, 24% had hypervolemia, and 18% had hypovolemia. SIADH was the most frequent cause (48%). Pneumonia was the second most common cause of SIADH after a cerebrovascular injury. In participants who did not exhibit any symptoms, hypervolemia was more evident than euvolemia and hypovolemia. Using the chi square test, the comparison of hydration status based on symptoms was determined to be statistically significant at p<0.05. In our study, 12% of the participants reported having died, with hypervolemic subjects reporting a higher percentage (25%). Using the chi square test, mortality was compared according to hydration status; p > 0.05 indicated an insignificant difference. Conclusion: Hyponatremia with symptoms is frequent among hospitalized patients. Patients with hyponatremia frequently experience neurological symptoms. The study's largest subgroup was SIADH with euvolemic hyponatremia.