Impact of Acquired Hypernatremia in the ICU on Mortality in Patients with Acute Respiratory Failure: A Retrospective Analysis from the NIS Database

Introduction: Hypernatremia is a critical condition frequently present in critically ill patients. In patients with acute respiratory failure, studies have shown that it worsens patients' condition and prolongs the time for mechanical ventilation, leading to adverse outcomes, yet in-hospital mortality is not completely acknowledged. Methodology: Analyzing data from the National Inpatient Sample database (2018–2021), a retrospective analysis was conducted using proper ICD-10 codes to identify patients with acute respiratory failure, then dividing them into two groups: with and without hypernatremia. Primary outcome assessed in-hospital mortality, while secondary outcomes were length of stay (LOS) and demographics. Results: Out of 153,840 hospitalized patients that met our criteria (median age 64, 56% male), 76,950 (50%) were selected for the hypernatremia group. Hypernatremic patients (median age 66, 57.5% male) had higher mortality (28.2% vs. 18.9%, OR=1.489, CI=1.432–1.548, p