title: [Incidence of hyponatremia and its causes in neurological patients].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hyponatremia is considered the most frequent electrolyte disorder found in hospitalized patients and seems to be a prognostic factor during hospitalization.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective observational study was carried out in consecutive neurological patients admitted to our hospital over a 3-month period. Blood and urinary ionogram and osmolality were determined at entry and 3-5 days after admission in all patients with hyponatremia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 130 patients admitted, 19 (14.6%) had hyponatremia. The causes of hyponatremia were as follows: inappropriate fluid replacement in 4 patients (21%), antihypertensive drugs in 4 (21%), syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone in 4 (21%), cerebral salt wasting syndrome in 2 (10%), and edematous status caused by liver disease in one and digestive loss in one (5%) each. Mortality was one (5%) and 0 (0%) among patients with and without hyponatremia, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hyponatremia is common in hospitalized neurological patients and can be misdiagnosed as a worsening of the main illness.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Hospital Universitario Arnau de Vilanova, Lleida, Spain. mariaina.cerda@gmail.com
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cerda-Esteve
authors.forename: Agustín
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruiz-González
authors.forename: Mindaugas
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gudelis
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goday
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trujillano
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cuadrado
authors.forename: Juan Francisco
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Cano
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007010:Hyponatremia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D011446:Prospective Studies