A randomized controlled trial to assess the effect of isotonic normal saline versus water post-Ryles Tube feeding for correcting hyponatremia among ICU patients at tertiary care hospital: a pilot study.

Objectives: To assess the effect of isotonic normal saline (NS) versus water post-Ryles Tube (RT) feeding upon hyponatremia and blood parameters in Intensive Care Units (ICU) admitted patients.

Methods: A parallel group randomized controlled trial design. The total sample size taken for this pilot trial was N = 50 as a thumb rule (n = 25 in each arm) selected by using a simple random sampling method. The sample was ICU-admitted patients with mild and moderate hyponatremia.at tertiary care hospital, Rishikesh. Intervention-20 mL Isotonic 0.9% normal saline (NS) among the experimental group vs. 20 mL water in the control group after each 9 am Ryles tube feeding respectively for three continuous days. At baseline and follow-up electrolytes, blood parameters, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), and blood pressures were assessed post-one hour of intervention daily for day-1, 2, 3 & 5. Data were analyzed by using descriptive & inferential statistics in the SPSS software 23.0 version.

Results: There was a significant difference found between the experimental and control groups for the post-test value of serum sodium levels, GCS, Systolic Blood Pressure, and Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) at day 1 of administration of normal saline intervention with p-value < 0.0001. However, it was found significant at day 5 between both groups for the above-mentioned variables.

Conclusion: The intervention of normal saline was found to be a cheaper and more effective remedy to treat hyponatremia and reduce mortality among ICU-admitted patients due to deterioration in bio-physiological parameters.