Severe Hypernatremia Correction Rate and Mortality in Hospitalized Patients

Hypernatremia is a common problem in hospitalized patients and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. This study was designed to evaluate whether physicians follow the recommended guidelines for the rate of correction of hypernatremia of ≤0.5 mEq/L/hr and to evaluate the effect of the rate of correction of severe hypernatremia on the mortality of hospitalized patients. A retrospective chart review of 131 consecutively hospitalized patients with severe hypernatremia (serum sodium ≥155 mEq/L) was performed. Primary outcomes were 30-day patient mortality and 72-hour hypernatremia correction. The first 24-hour serum sodium (Na(+)) correction rate was tested as a categorical variable; slow rate (