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Hyponatraemia

Prevalence
Causes
Clinical features
Investigations
Therapy
Prognosis
Prevalence

Hyponatraemia often develops in elderly patients in hospital, but is usually mild. c

Note:

  • 1% of elderly patients are admitted to hospital with hyponatraemia, (0.9%: 95% CI: 0.3% to 1.6%) c but one in five develop it during their stay (20%: 95% CI: 18% to 23%) c
  • Only one in thirty of these have a sodium level below 121 mmol/l. (3%: 95% CI: 0.4% to 5.0%) Three-quarters only fall to 130-134 mmol/l. c

Expiry date: September 2005
Levels of Evidence used in grading these guides

Authors   T   Ringrose , CM   Ball
Reviewer   J V   Bonventre
CAT Writers   T   Ringrose , CM   Ball