Survival and Mortality of Patients with Hyponatremia in Intensive Care Units: A Retrospective Study of 327 Patients Hospitalized at Sylvanus Olympio University Hospital

Hyponatremia is recognized as the most common electrolyte disorder in hospitalization services. It is associated in the literature with a prolongation of the hospitalization with a variable mortality according to comorbidities and etiologies. In Togo, although empirically noted, this excess mortality has never been demonstrated. The objective of our study was to determine the survival and mortality of patients with hyponatremia in the intensive care units of the Sylvanus Olympio Hospital Center (CHU SO). We collected 2802 patients over the period from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2016. Of these patients, 327 included patients, of whom 79 had hyponatremia, had a frequency of 23.6%. The prevalence of hyponatremia was 2.8%. The average of natremia was 126.3 ± 6.8 mmol/L with extremes of 100 mmol/L and 134 mmol/L. The mean age of patients was 52.3 ± 18.2 years (range: 18 to 92 years) with a sex ratio (M / F) of 1.5. The most common comorbidities were high blood pressure (32.9%) and diabetes (13.9%). The most common etiology was neurological (26.6%), renal (20.3%) and infectious (19%). The average duration of hospitalization was 11 days. The probability of survival after 11 days was 49%, with excess mortality depending on the severity of hyponatremia. Because of its importance hyponatremia appears as a cause of mortality. This study provides the prognosis of patients in intensive care and urges the implementation of ionogram monitoring technique