Electrolyte imbalance in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia

Abstract

Introduction: Electrolyte abnormalities are among the most common complications among the patients admitted with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) pneumonia and maybe contributed to its course of disease and severity. Objectives: The current study aims to assess the prevalence and association of electrolyte imbalance among patients with COVID 19 pneumonia. Patients and Methods: The current observational study has been conducted on 323 patients with COVID 19 pneumonia. On-admission blood samples were taken to assess electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium), complete blood count and differentiation (CBC with diff), and other biomarkers. Further measurements of electrolytes were conducted during the period of hospitalization if needed. The frequency and association of electrolyte imbalance with diverse demographic, clinical, laboratory, and in-hospital characteristics was assessed. Results: Hypo/hypernatremia, hypo/hyperkalemia, hypo/hypermagnesemia and hypo/ hypercalcemia were presented in 14.5%/9.4%, 3.8%/10.3%, 7.9%/9.3%, and 10.9%/10.8%, respectively. Time to discharge was remarkably higher among the patients with hypernatremia (P=0.031). The patients with hypermagnesemia were significantly younger than the other cases (P=0.016). The C-reactive protein (CRP) level was statistically less among the patients with hypercalcemia (P=0.025). There was no associative outcome between potassium abnormalities and patients’ characteristics. Conclusion: The present study showed that electrolyte imbalances are common laboratory abnormalities during COVID-19. However, we found no associative role, since ions balance plays a crucial prognostic role for COVID-19.