Frequency of Electrolyte Disorders and Their Clinical Outcomes Among Hospitalized Medical Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

Original Article

Abstract

Background: Electrolyte disorders are common among hospitalized medical patients and are associated with increased morbidity, prolonged hospital stay, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and in-hospital mortality. Early identification and appropriate management of these abnormalities may improve clinical outcomes.

Objectives: To determine the frequency of electrolyte disorders among hospitalized medical patients and assess their association with clinical outcomes, including length of hospital stay, ICU admission, and in-hospital mortality.

Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of General Medicine at a tertiary care teaching hospital from January to June 2026, after obtaining approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) (insert approval number and date). A total of 100 adult patients admitted for more than 24 hours were enrolled using consecutive non-probability sampling. The sample size was calculated using the WHO sample size formula, assuming a prevalence of electrolyte disorders of 50%, a 95% confidence level, and a 10% margin of error, yielding a minimum required sample size of 96, which was increased to 100 to improve precision. Patients aged 18 years or older admitted to the Department of General Medicine who underwent serum electrolyte testing within 24 hours of admission and provided written informed consent were included. Patients younger than 18 years, pregnant women, those hospitalized for less than 24 hours, patients with incomplete laboratory records, those transferred after electrolyte correction at another hospital, and those refusing participation were excluded.

Results: A total of 100 hospitalized adult medical patients were included in the study. The mean age was 56.8 ± 15.2 years (range: 18–89 years). There were 58 (58.0%) males and 42 (42.0%) females. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (45.0%), diabetes mellitus (38.0%), chronic kidney disease (18.0%), heart failure (14.0%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (12.0%), and chronic liver disease (10.0%). Electrolyte disorders were identified in 64% of patients and were significantly associated with prolonged hospital stay (p = 0.001), ICU admission (p = 0.031), and mortality (p = 0.041). Hyponatremia was the most frequent abnormality, occurring in 28 (28.0%) patients, followed by hypokalemia in 18 (18.0%), hypocalcemia in 16 (16.0%), hypomagnesemia in 12 (12.0%), and hyperkalemia in 9 (9.0%) patients. Multiple electrolyte abnormalities were observed in 19 (19.0%) patients.

Conclusion: Electrolyte disorders are highly prevalent among hospitalized medical patients and are significantly associated with prolonged hospitalization, increased ICU admission, and higher in-hospital mortality. Routine electrolyte assessment and timely correction of abnormalities should be incorporated into standard inpatient management to improve clinical outcomes.