Hyperkalemia and Pneumonia: A Retrospective Study on Mortality Outcomes in Southwest Missouri

Pneumonia stands as a widely known contributor to hospitalization and mortality among adults in the United States. Meanwhile, disruptions in potassium homeostasis such as hyperkalemia may have an impact on in-patient mortality. This study seeks to examine the presence of hyperkalemia and its association with in-patient mortality among pneumonia patients.

Electronic medical records were used to perform a retrospective observational cohort study in Southwest Missouri patients admitted to the hospital with pneumonia and/or hyperkalemia. Patients were divided into three samples: patients with pneumonia and hyperkalemia (P1), pneumonia without hyperkalemia (P2), and hyperkalemia without pneumonia (P3). The goal was to determine and compare the in-patient mortality rates of these samples.

Patients with both pneumonia and hyperkalemia (P1) demonstrated the highest mortality rate, ranging from 34.25% to 42.31%, significantly surpassing rates observed in patients with pneumonia without hyperkalemia (P2) or hyperkalemia without pneumonia (P3). Notably, patients with pneumonia without hyperkalemia (P2) exhibited a mortality rate comparable to patients with hyperkalemia without pneumonia (P3).

Our study revealed that patients admitted to the hospital with pneumonia and hyperkalemia had a statistically significant increase in mortality in comparison to patients with pneumonia or hyperkalemia independently. Recognizing this association may help identify prognosis and thus guide the management of patients admitted to the hospital with both hyperkalemia and pneumonia.