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Abstract
Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. Hyponatremia is a frequent electrolyte imbalance in CAP and has been implicated in severity and poor prognosis.
Objective: To find out the prevalence of hyponatremia in patients with CAP and to assess the relationship between hyponatremia and demographic and clinical factors.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was a descriptive one carried out at Central Park Teaching Hospital, Lahore, during February 2024 to September 2024. The patients who were diagnosed with CAP according to both clinical and radiological criteria were recruited through consecutive sampling. Measuring serum sodium was done by collecting venous blood under aseptic conditions.
Findings: The study included 165 pediatric patients with community-acquired pneumonia, with a mean age of 5.2 years and a median fever duration of 6 days. Most children were male (59.4%) and from urban areas (61.8%), with nearly half presenting with mild pneumonia and the remainder showing moderate (37.0%) or severe disease (18.2%). Cough and fever were the predominant symptoms, while dyspnea occurred in 43.6%. The mean serum sodium level was 136 mEq/L, and hyponatremia was identified in 35.2% of cases. Among those with low sodium, most had mild hyponatremia (58.6%), followed by moderate (31.0%) and severe (10.4%) forms. Hyponatremia showed a significant association with older age (5–14 years: 42.1%) and increasing pneumonia severity (severe: 66.7%; moderate: 39.3%; mild: 18.9%), while gender and residence showed no significant relationship.
Conclusion: Hyponatremia is frequent in CAP and is associated with the severity of the disease. Sodium imbalance can be recognized and managed early in order to enhance the outcome, and it should be a part of frequent monitoring among high-risk patients