title: [Hyponatremia in elderly patients admitted in an acute geriatric care unit. prevalence and prognosis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In order to analyze the prevalence of hyponatremia in in-hospital elderly patients and its prognosis factor value, we performed a transversal prospective study in an Acute Geriatric Unit (AGU).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and sixty in-hospital patients were collected prospectively in an AGU. Sociodemographic and lab data were collected as well as the Barthel, Pfeiffer and Charlson tests. A questionnaire was performed in hospital. Hyponatremia was considered when the plasmatic sodium was ≤134 mmol/l.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample consisted of 137 women (52.7%) and 123 men (47.3%). Mean age was 83.6 years (SD 7.9). Mean plasmatic sodium values were 137.3 mmol/l (range 112-168). Emergency lab tests showed 60 patients with hyponatremia (23.7%), 35 (13.6%) in the AGU. Cardiopulmonary were the most related diseases. Mean hospital length of stay was 12.8 days (SD 12.8). In-hospital mortality was 12.9%. We observed a statistic relationship between the presence of hyponatremia and a greater mean length of stay (15.53 vs 11.99 days, P=.003). No relationship was found between hyponatremia and mortality (15 vs 12.7%, P=.588).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hyponatremia in patients admitted in an AGU is a prevalent disorder related with a greater hospital length of stay, but not with mortality.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge, l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. mrubiorivas@yahoo.es
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rubio-Rivas
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Formiga
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cuerpo
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: di Yacovo
authors.forename: Concepción
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pujol
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006757:Hospital Units; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007010:Hyponatremia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology