HYPONATRAEMIA IN THE ELDERLY

1 February 1983

journal article
research article
Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Age and Ageing

Vol. 12 (1) , 77-80
https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/12.1.77

Abstract

A study of hyponatraemia in the in-patients of a Geriatric Department during a 10-month period showed that 77 patients (11.3%) had plasma sodium concentrations below 130 mmol/1. Thirty-one patients (4.5%) had severe hyponatraemia of less than 125 mmol/l. Seventy-three per cent of hyponatraemias were iatrogenic caused by diuretic or intravenous fluid therapy. Hydrochlorothiazide/amiloride combination has the greatest tendency to produce hyponatraemia compared to all other diuretics ( P <0.01). Clinical features attributable to hyponatraemia were present in 61 %. Nine patients needed hospital admission solely due to hyponatraemia. The mortality rate for hyponatraemia was twice the overall rate for the unit.

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