Delayed Symptomatic Hyponatremia Epidemiology
Delayed hyponatremia following transsphenoidal surgery is a known complication, with a peak incidence of 4-7 days post-operatively 1) 2) 3).
It is a common cause of hospital readmission, due to fluid retention resulting in reduction of plasma sodium concentration below physiologic levels 4).
In a database of 466 consecutive patients who underwent endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery at a tertiary care center between April 2006 and July 2014 was reviewed for 30-day causes for readmission, length of stay, level of care required, and average cost.
Twenty-nine readmissions were identified within the study period, indicating a 30-day readmission rate of 6.2%. Among all patients, rates of 30-day readmission were 2.1% for epistaxis, 1.5% for hyponatremia, 0.9% for cerebrospinal fluid leak, and 1.7% for other medical conditions. Average cost per readmission ranged from $6011 for hyponatremia to $24,613 for cerebrospinal fluid leak 5).