Hyponatremia in Cirrhotic Patients in the Hepatology and Gastroenterology Department of Gabriel Touré University Hospital

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate hyponatremia in cirrhotic patients. This was a prospective study conducted in the hepatogastroenterology department from January 2020 to June 2021, including hospitalized cirrhotic patients. We collected data on 79 cirrhotic patients with hyponatremia, including 48 men and 31 women, with a mean age of 50.89 ± 13.79 years (range 20 - 80 years). The etiology of cirrhosis was viral, predominantly hepatitis B virus. More than half of the patients (60.76%) were classified as Child-Pugh C. The prevalence of hyponatremia was 45.57% for a serum sodium level < 130 mmol/L and 54.43% for a serum sodium level between 130 and 135 mmol/L. Hyponatremia was correlated with the severity of liver disease. Complication-free survival was shortened in patients with severe hyponatremia. After 18 months of follow-up, 58 patients (73.42%) had died including 44.30% within 1 to 6 months of being diagnosed with hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is a poor prognostic factor in cirrhosis and is correlated with the severity of liver disease.