Correlation of Serum Sodium with Severity of Ascites in HCV-Related Liver Cirrhosis

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the frequency of hyponatremia among HCV-related
chronic liver disease patients with ascites and to compare levels of serum sodium with different severity of
ascites.
Material and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Holy Family Hospital.
Indoor patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were selected using consecutive sampling.
Patient information, clinical presentation and ascites grading, was recorded using a pre-designed questionnaire.
Ascites was graded clinically and confirmed via ultrasound as mild, moderate, or severe. Serum sodium
levels were measured using ISE (ion-specific electrode technology) at the hospital lab upon admission.
Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, with a p-value of <0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: A total of 291 patients were included. The mean age of patients was 48.82 (SD 14.94) years, whereas
total male and female patients were 169 (58.1%) and 122 (41.9%) respectively. Frequency of hyponatremia
(mild, moderate, severe) among HCV-related chronic liver disease patients with ascites was 135 (46.4%), 56
(19.2%), and 100 (34.4%) respectively whereas among patients with Grade 1 ascites, frequency of mild &
severe hyponatremia was noted as 119 (62.8) and 54 (28.4) respectively and it was highly significant
statistically (p-value 0.0001).
Conclusion: The study highlights a significant occurrence of hyponatremia among patients with HCV-related
chronic liver disease, strongly associated with severity of ascites. In a resource-limited country like Pakistan,
serum sodium emerges as a simple yet vital tool to promptly identify patients at risk of complications, enabling
timely interventions.
Keywords: Ascites, Liver, Hyponatremia