Frequency of Complications by Serum Sodium Level among Patients with Liver Cirrhosis

Abstract

Background: Cirrhosis is a life-threatening and incurable condition. It is a leading cause of death and disease all over the globe. Fluctuations in blood sodium levels are a common consequence of advanced cirrhosis Objective: To determine frequency of complications by serum sodium level among patients with liver cirrhosis. Methodology: This descriptive Cross sectional study was carried out at the Department of Medicine, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar from Mar 1, 2021 to Aug 31, 2021. The severity of cirrhosis was measured using Child-Pugh Scores for all patients after a thorough history and examination. Blood samples from all patients were obtained under stringent aseptic conditions and sent to the hospital laboratory. The level of sodium in the serum was tested under the observation of a pathologist having more than 10 years of pathology experience. Results: In our study, amongst 210 subjects, 125 (59.52%) were males whereas 85(40.48%) were females. The spontaneous bacterial peritonitis among liver cirrhosis was observed in 42(20%) patients and Encephalopathy was observed in 48(22.9%) cases. Conclusion: Low levels of sodium in serum are a prevalent trait in individuals with cirrhosis, according to the findings of this research. Serum sodium concentrations ˂130 meq/l is associated with an increased risk of Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis and hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhotic patients. Keywords: Serum sodium, Hepatic Encephalopathy, Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis