The frequency of hypernatremia at presenting to the Emergency Department with acute bronchiolitis

Aim: Acute bronchiolitis is a common lower respiratory tract disease in children. In addition to its common clinical findings, it may also cause extrarenal water losses. Deficiency in total body water is a risk for hypernatremia. This study aimed to analyze the frequency of concomitant hypernatremia in children suffering from acute bronchiolitis.
Material and methods: This retrospective study was conducted with 1317 children who presented to the pediatric emergency department with acute bronchiolitis and whose sodium levels were measured from January 1, 2019, to March 1, 2020. The age, gender, and application season of the patients were recorded.
Results: Hypernatremia was detected in 193 (14.7%) patients, and hyponatremia was detected in 99 (7.5%). There was no statistical difference in age or gender between the hyponatremia, hypernatremia, and normonatremia groups (p>0.05). The frequency of hypernatremia was the highest in winter and spring (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Patients with acute bronchiolitis may be accompanied not only by hyponatremia but also by hypernatremia. To prevent dysnatremia in patients with acute bronchiolitis, each child's intravenous hydration regimen must be ordered to electrolyte levels.