Prevalence of Hyponatremia in Elderly Patients with Hip Fractures: A Two-Year Study

Abstract

Objective: This study investigated the prevalence of hyponatremia in elderly patients (≥65 years old) with hip fractures.

Subjects and methods: All records containing clinical and laboratory data on the 334 elderly patients admitted to the San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona Hospital of Salerno, Italy, with hip fractures during 2014 and 2015, were retrieved from the hospital database. Patients were divided into 4 groups, according to their sex and the type of hip fracture. Sodium serum concentrations were retrieved from the medical records. Hyponatremia was defined as the presence of at least 1 episode of hyponatremia during the hospital stay.

Results: Of 334 elderly patients, hyponatremia was found in 64 (19%). The prevalence of hyponatremia was 18% (28/157) for female patients with extracapsular proximal femoral fracture, 22% (17/79) for female patients with intracapsular proximal femoral fracture, 20% (12/60) for male patients with extracapsular proximal femoral fracture, and 18% (7/38) for male patients with intracapsular proximal femoral fracture.

Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of hyponatremia in the elderly patients with hip fractures. Hence, serum sodium concentrations should be regularly assessed to prevent occurrence of hyponatremia.

Keywords: Elderly patients; Hip fracture; Hyponatremia.