Frequency of Hyponatremia in patients of Chronic Liver Disease

Abstract

Background: Chronic liver disease (CLD) is occurring very common in Pakistan. As liver got diseased, it do not work properly and cause different nutritional and electrolytes imbalance in body of the patients. So we planned this study to find the variation in sodium level in CLD patients. Aim: To assess the frequency of hyponatremia in patients of chronic liver disease Study design: Cross sectional study. Setting: Department of Medicine, Mayo Hospital, Lahore, six months duration. Methodology: 150 cases of CLD were selected through OPD. Blood sample was obtained and level of sodium was tested and hyponatremia was noted. SPSS v.20 was used to analyses the data. Frequency and percentage was calculated for hyponatremia. Results: The mean age of the patients was 46.31±15.82 years. There were 54% males and 46% females. Mean duration of CLD was 5.76±2.79years. Child-Pugh grade A was noticed in 34%, grade B in 30.7% and grade C in 35.3%. The mean sodium level 142.71±15.54mmol/L. Hyponatremia was present in 33.3% cases. Mild hyponatremia was observed in 24(48%) cases, moderate hyponatremia in 25(50%) and severe hyponatremia in 1(2%) patients. Hyponatremia was present in 25.5% Child-Pugh class A, 39.1% in Child-Pugh class B and 35.8% in Child-Pugh class C. The difference was insignificant (P>0.05). Conclusion: The frequency of hyponatremia in CLD patients was high.