ABSTRACT
Adjustment of composition of body fluids and electrolytes is one of the most important aspects of patients care. Sodium and Potassium are the most important body cations, the improper adjustment of them will cause sever disorders in neuromuscular, gastrointestinal, respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Acute renal failure indicated by increase in creatinine and nitrogen urea, brings an accumulation of fluids, salts and metabolites of nitrogen in body. This study intends to assess the status of electrolyte abnormalities and mortality rates of the patients hospitalized in ICU wards in our country. This is a descriptive and retrospective study on the records of 378 patients hospitalized in ICU. A questionnaire was prepared and the data were entered in SPSS system. They were statistically analyzed by using chi-square and fisher's Exact test methods. Out of 378 patients hospitalized in ICU, over 2/3 of them were male and over half of them were>45 years old. Frequency distribution of electrolyte abnormalities was as follows: Hyponatremia 59% hypernatremia 23% hypokalemia 37% hyperkalemia 28%, 35% and 21% of patients had respectively BUN and creatinine more than the normal range. 26% of patients hospitalized in ICU had nonsurgical problems and 74% of the patients had surgical problems. Average time of hospitalization in ICU was 85 days and mortality rate was 35%. The most common electrolyte abnormality was related to variation in serum sodium levels in the form of hyponatremia. And the highest prevalence electrolyte abnormality in dead patients was hyponatremia. This study proves that the prevalence of electrolyte abnormalities is directly related to mortality and increase in hospitalization period and those having undergone surgical operations during hospitalization in ICU, manifested more abnormalities