Clinical Profile and Aetiopathogenesis of Patients with Sodium and Calcium Abnormalities in Tuberculosis: A Cross-sectional Study
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the major public health concerns in India. Hyponatraemia is one of the most common electrolyte abnormalities in TB patients. Calcium abnormalities have also been reported in them. Aim: The study was done to determine the prevalence of sodium and calcium abnormalities in TB patients in the population and to assess the relationship between the type of TB and electrolyte abnormalities. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Government Medical College, Amritsar, Punjab, India from June 2023 to May 2024. The study included 60 adult patients with active TB. Measurements of serum electrolytes and serum osmolality were done. Tests like urine sodium were done if hyponatraemia was present. Pearson’s Chi-square test was used to discover if any relationship between two categorical variables, t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) analysis were used to differentiate means among two or more groups. Results: The mean age in the study was 47±14.7 years and comprised 42 males and 18 females. They were stratified into pulmonary, extrapulmonary, Central Nervous System (CNS) and disseminated TB. A 75% of patients had hyponatraemia and 25% had eunatraemia. Mean serum sodium in patients with eunatraemia was 139.13±2.26 mMol/L and with hyponatraemia was 129.5±4.15 mMol/L. There was a statistically significant relation between hyponatraemia and age group 51-60 years and >60 years (p-value <0.05). Mean age of eunatremic patients were 42.93±16.25 years and of hyponatraemic patients were 48.49±14.08 years. A significant relation between the type of TB (CNS, pulmonary and disseminated) and hyponatraemia was established (p-value<0.05). Euvolaemic hyponatraemia likely due to Syndrome of Inappropriate Anti Diuretic Hormone (SIADH) was found in 73% of cases. A significant relation was established between the frequency of euvolaemic hyponatraemia among CNS vs disseminated TB (p-value <0.05). There were 80% of patients with eucalcaemia and 13% with hypercalcaemia. Mortality was seen in cases of severe hyponatraemia and severe hypercalcaemia but it was not significant. Conclusion: Electrolyte abnormalities like hyponatraemia and hypercalcaemia are common in TB. The most common cause of hyponatraemia is SIADH.
Authors: Kamal Preet Singh, Sukhraj Kaur, Saloni Khattar, Ajay Chhabra, Priyanka Singh, Sumedh R Luthra
Language: English
Subfield: Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $275
OpenAlex ID: W4411324880