Journal of AdvancedMedical and Dental Sciences Research

Background: A lower respiratory tract infection, situated below the larynx, encompasses conditions such as pneumonia, wheeze-associated LRTI, bronchiolitis, and empyema. This study seeks to ascertain the prevalence of hyponatremia among pediatric patients while also investigating potential electrolyte imbalances in children experiencing severe pneumonia and their impact on clinical outcomes. Aim: Assessing the serum sodium levels in pediatric patients admitted in hospitals suffering from LRTI. Materials and methods: This retrospective descriptive study was carried out at the Department of Pediatrics over a one-year period. The study comprised all children aged between 2 months and 4 years who exhibited signs and symptoms of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI).We collected data on various parameters, including the length of hospitalization in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) or ward, the necessity for oxygen therapy, the requirement for ventilator support, the duration of mechanical ventilation, and the ultimate patient outcomes, encompassing complications, discharge, and mortality. Our objective is to assess the impact of hyponatremia on morbidity and mortality in pneumonia patients, comparing those with hyponatremia to those with normal sodium levels.Results:In this study, we observed an equal distribution of patients between the hyponatremia and normonatremia groups, with a higher prevalence of males in our sample. Interestingly, we found a significantly higher occurrence of hyponatremia among patients diagnosed with pneumonia when compared to those with diagnoses of empyema and bronchiolitis. However, it's worth noting that our study did not reveal a significant association between hyponatremia and poor clinical outcomes.Conclusion:The present study documented higher incidence of the hyponatremia among the patients with lower respiratory tract infection, the hyponatremia was more common among the children with pneumonia compared to the other lower respiratory tract infections in the study. Also the study did not find the significant effect on the outcome of the patients.