Children with mild hyponatremia at the emergency department are at higher risk of hospitalization

Abstract

Abstract Background Mild hyponatremia is frequently encountered in the pediatric emergency department (PED). Although usually of little clinical concern, its prognostic meaning as a possible marker of more severe disease has not yet been well established. Methods We retrospectively analyzed data from children and adolescents who performed a blood sample with plasmatic sodium measurement on admission to the PED of IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo” Pediatric Hospital in Trieste, Italy, in 2019. We compared the rate, length of admissions and laboratory characteristics of patients with hyponatremia to those with normal sodium. Results Among 807 subjects, hyponatremia (sodium 5 days (aOR 1.99; 95%CI 1.03–3.85). When considering only subjects with mild hyponatremia, we found similar results. Conclusion Hyponatremia and mild hyponatremia in the PED are associated with an increased admission rate and extended hospital stays. Mild hyponatremia should be considered a warning sign for a possibly more serious condition.