Electrolyte disturbances in a sample of hospitalized patients from Iraq

Electrolyte disturbances are common in ill patients. Several conditions in the intensive care unit (ICU) might be responsible for developing electrolyte disorders, and medications may also contribute to these disturbances. The current study aimed to determine the frequency of electrolyte disturbances and assess the pattern of electrolyte imbalance in hospitalized patients, determining the possible effects of these electrolyte disorders. This cross-sectional study included patients admitted to the intensive care unit, respiratory care unit (RCU), and coronary care unit (CCU) at the Al-Sadar teaching hospital, Najaf, Iraq, from November 2020 to April 2021. The study collected data from two hundred patients regarding demographics, categories of ICUs at admission, comorbidities, and laboratory values at admission. Also, electrolyte levels at ICU admission and during hospitalization were collected from the medical database record. In addition, the patient's age, sex, fasting blood sugar (FBS), body mass index (BMI), B.urea, and creatinine were matched. Na⁺, K⁺, ionized Ca⁺⁺, and Cl serum levels were significantly different during hospitalization. Comorbidities with predominant hypokalemia were found in 80.5%, hypochloremia in 73%, hypocalcaemia in 72%, and hyponatremia in 56.7% of hospitalized patients. Studying the effect of co-morbidities indicated a higher percentage (44%) of admitted patients with ischemic heart diseases, 38 (19%) with digestive diseases, 21 (10.5%) with orthopedic surgery in an emergency, 14 (7%) with pneumonia and lung diseases, 12 (6%) with diabetics, 18 (9%) with sepsis, and 9(4.5%) with seizure. Hospitalized patients may be at higher risk of developing combined electrolytes disorder associated with decreased serum levels of K⁺, Na⁺, Ca⁺⁺, and Cl^-. Thus, doctors and clinicians are recommended to observe electrolyte changes and correct them as they seem to negatively impact the outcome and prognosis.