Electrolyte changes and urinalysis pattern in patients with vesicovaginal fistula compared to their healthy controls

Objective: The present work aimed to determine the electrolyte and urinalysis pattern among vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) patients admitted into the National Obstetric Fistula Center (NOFC), Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Method: Twenty VVF patients (mean age 27.65 ± 5.44) from the VVF Unit of NOFC and twenty apparently healthy controls (mean age 25.85 ± 1.66) from the Medical Laboratory Science Department, Ebonyi State University, were recruited for the study. Serum concentrations of sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), chloride (Cl ) and bicarbonate (HCO3 ) were analyzed by the ion-selective electrode method while urine analysis was done using urinalysis strips. Results: VVF patients indicated significantly higher K+ and Cl levels but lower Na+ level when compared with their controls. Bicarbonate level was found to be insignificantly higher in VVF patients when compared with controls. Urine analysis showed higher but insignificant differences in the frequencies of hematuria, urobilinogenuria, bilirubinuria, proteinuria, nitrite, ascorbic acid and glucosuria between the control group and VVF patients. The presence of cloudy urine was significantly higher in the VVF patients compared to the controls. Conclusion: The present study indicated significantly higher levels of K+, Cl and lower level of Na+ in VVF patients when compared with the healthy controls. Furthermore, there were greater presence of protein, ascorbic acid, blood and glucose in VVF patients when compared with the control but these differences were statistically insignificant.