prognosis of hyponatremia

Prognosis of hyponatremia:

Hyponatremia is a manifestation of a variety of disorders. While hyponatremia can easily be corrected, the prognosis for the underlying condition that causes it varies.

The outcome depends on the condition that is causing the problem. In general, acute hyponatremia, which occurs in less than 48 hours, is more dangerous. When sodium levels fall slowly over a period of days or weeks (chronic hyponatremia), the brain cells have time to adjust and swelling is minimal.

However, a study showed that hyponatremic patients were more than seven times as likely to die in the hospital than the control patients, and they were more than twice as likely to die after discharge. Hyponatremia appears to be an indicator of increased risk of death regardless of the disease with which it is associated.

In another study, it was found that patients who were admitted with low sodium concentration upon admission have lower mortality compared to patients admitted with normal concentration and subsequently dropped to become hyponatremic. Among the most common single cause of hyponatremia is thiazide diuretics. Other common causes of hyponatremia were loop diuretics, congestive cardiac failure and liver disease.