Impact of Hyponatremia in Patients with Hepatitis C Induced Liver Cirrhosis

Authors

Abstract

Objective: To assess the frequency of hyponatremia in admitted patients suffering from end stage liver disease because of hepatitis C infection in in Akhtar Saeed Trust Hospital, Lahore.

Methods

It was an observational, cross sectional based study which was undertaken at Department of medicine, gastroenterology chapter, Akhtar Saeed Trust Hospital, Lahore during June 2023 to June 2024. The patients admitted in medical ward of Akhtar Saeed Trust Hospital Lahore diagnosed with end stage liver disease because of hepatitis C were monitored for their serum sodium levels. The respondents were divided into three different classes on basis of their serum sodium level in order to assess the impact of negative imbalance of sodium on the declining health of liver cirrhosis patients.

Results

  Hepatitis C, leading cause of liver cirrhosis in Pakistan and electrolytes imbalance mainly serum sodium level (Hyponatremia) is major causes of decompensation like Hepatic encephalopathy, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, Hepatorenal syndrome, Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis amongst patients having liver cirrhosis. It was found that hyponatremia level ≤130meq/L was found in 35.3% patients however, 41.3 % of the patient's serum sodium level was between 130.50 to 134.50 meq/L, and 23.3 % patients had sodium levels >134.50 meq/L. Serum sodium level has a strong association with liver cirrhosis patients in contest of Child Pugh score classification. It was found that 03 patients were in CPS class A, 13 within CPS class B and 37 patients within CPS class C having (serum sodium level equal or less than 130 meq/L). In group B (serum sodium level 130.50 to 134.50 meq/L) 07 patients were in CPS-A, 30 and 25 were in CPS-B and CPS-C, respectively. While in group C (serum sodium level above 134.50 meq/L), 11 patients were found in CPS-A, 15 were in CPS-B and 9 patients were in CPS-C (p value < 0.0001).

Conclusion

 Hyponatremia is very crucial in prognosis of Liver cirrhosis patient as it increases MELD score and CTP score. It is inversely proportional to mortality, thus lower level of sodium leads to increase chances of mortality in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Keywords:

Hyponatremia, Liver cirrhosis, Decompensated disease

Published

2025/11/21

Issue

Vol. VOLUME 6-issue 4

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