Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1991 Jul;67(789):643-5.
doi: 10.1136/pgmj.67.789.643.

Hypernatraemia in an adult in-patient population

C A Long  1 , P Marin, A J Bayer, H G Shetty, M S Pathy
Affiliations

Hypernatraemia in an adult in-patient population

C A Long et al. Postgrad Med J. 1991 Jul.

Abstract

We report a retrospective study of hypernatraemia (serum sodium concentration greater than 150 mmol/l) in an adult in-patient population of a health district during one year. The incidence was 0.3% with at least 60% of cases developing after hospital admission, mainly in elderly patients. Dehydration appeared to be the major cause, with the use of diuretics, depressed conscious level or febrile illness implicated in a majority. Most patients had more than one contributory factor and iatrogenic causes were common. Associated illnesses were often severe and the in-hospital mortality was high (54%) regardless of age. Hypernatraemia in hospitalized patients should be largely avoidable and there is a need for greater awareness of the importance of active maintenance of hydration in susceptible patients.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. BMJ. 1989 Dec 9;299(6713):1426-9 - PubMed
    1. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1983 Aug;31(8):466-71 - PubMed
    1. N Engl J Med. 1984 Sep 20;311(12):791-2 - PubMed
    1. Am Fam Physician. 1989 Jul;40(1):125-8 - PubMed
    1. Ann Intern Med. 1987 Nov;107(5):768-9 - PubMed