Clinical Patterns and Severity Distribution of Hyponatremia in Elderly Patients

Background: Hyponatremia is one of the most common electrolyte disorders among elderly hospitalized patients and is associated with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and adverse outcomes. Age-related physiological changes, comorbid conditions and polypharmacy contribute to its increased prevalence and variable presentation. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical patterns, severity distribution and volume status of hyponatremia among elderly patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This hospital-based observational study included 66 patients aged 60 years and above with documented hyponatremia admitted to the medical wards of a tertiary hospital in Bangladesh. Patients were classified into mild, moderate and severe hyponatremia based on serum sodium concentrations. Clinical presentations and volume status were systematically recorded and associations between symptom patterns and severity were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests. Results: Mild hyponatremia was the most prevalent form (59.1%), followed by moderate (27.3%) and severe (13.6%) hyponatremia. Hypervolemic hyponatremia was the most common volume status (40.9%), followed by euvolemic and hypovolemic types. Gastrointestinal symptoms predominated, with vomiting (63.6%) and nausea (48.5%) being most frequent. Vomiting, loss of appetite, fever, diarrhea and abdominal pain were significantly more common in moderate to severe hyponatremia (p