title: Diseases associated with electrolyte imbalance in the ED: age-related differences.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the study is to investigate the prevalence of electrolyte imbalance (EI) in the emergency department (ED) with systemic diseases in different decades of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled patients admitted to the ED. The population study included 7941 patients, subdivided in 3 groups: young group (Y), middle-aged group (MA), and elderly group (E).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed EI in 13.7% of the whole population. Hyponatremia (hNa+) is the most frequent EI (44%) followed by hypokalemia (hK+) (39%), hyperkalemia (HK+) (13%), and hypernatremia (HNa+) (4.4%). In the Y group, the EI occurred in 7.1% of all patients (P< .05 vs MA and E), whereas in the MA group, they were shown in 11.5% of patients and in the E group in 22% of all patients group (P< .05 vs MA and Y). In the Y group, gastrointestinal diseases are the most frequently associated disease (24.6%; P< .05 vs MA and E). In the MA group, the most frequently associated disease was a current cardiovascular disease (29.7%; P< .05 vs Y and E). In the E group, the frequently associated diseases are cardiovascular (22.8%; P< .05 vs Y) and lung diseases (16.7%; P< .05 vs MA and Y).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our study, 13.7% of all patients showed an EI, and only 2% of cases were alone without any associated systemic disease. Most EIs are associated to other systemic diseases. The present data also depict different age-related and disease-associated prevalence patterns of EI, thus highlighting a complex clinical scenario.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Geriatrics Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy. Electronic address: mauro.giordano@unina2.it.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Geriatrics Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ciarambino
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Castellino
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Malatino
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical-Surgery Sciences and Translational Medicine, University La Sapienza Rome, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Somma
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Biolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Geriatrics Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paolisso
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Geriatrics Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi Elio
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Adinolfi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006955:Hypernatremia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D007010:Hyponatremia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014883:Water-Electrolyte Imbalance / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult