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Hypernatremia in Hospitalized Patients
The Editors welcome submissions for possible publication in the Letters section. Authors of letters should:
•Include no more than 300 words of text, three authors, and five references
•Type with double-spacing
•Send three copies of the letter, an authors' form signed by all authors, and a cover letter describing any conflicts of interest related to the contents of the letter.
Letters commenting on an Annals article will be considered if they are received within 6 weeks of the time the article was published. Only some of the letters received can be published. Published letters are edited and may be shortened; tables and figures are included only selectively. Authors will be notified that the letter has been received. If the letter is selected for publication, the author will be notified about 3 weeks before the publication date. Unpublished letters cannot be returned.
Annals welcomes electronically submitted letters.
TO THE EDITOR:
Palevsky and colleagues point out that hospital-acquired hypernatremia is largely attributable to the inappropriate prescription of fluids, but they fail to show whether this leads to increased morbidity and mortality [1]. They openly state that no mortality was directly associated with hypernatremia. They claim that hypernatremia partially contributed to the death of 16% of patients and to decreased functional status at discharge in 14%; however, they provide no details on the manner in which hypernatremia contributed to these outcomes or which patients are most at risk. They also do not mention whether any patient with delayed recognition and treatment had increased morbidity or mortality.
It would be helpful if the authors could compare the morbidity and mortality associated with hypernatremia between the group that had inappropriate fluid management and the group that had appropriate fluid management.
Michael L. Moritz, MD
The Editors welcome submissions for possible publication in the Letters section. Authors of letters should:
•Include no more than 300 words of text, three authors, and five references
•Type with double-spacing
•Send three copies of the letter, an authors' form signed by all authors, and a cover letter describing any conflicts of interest related to the contents of the letter.
Letters commenting on an Annals article will be considered if they are received within 6 weeks of the time the article was published. Only some of the letters received can be published. Published letters are edited and may be shortened; tables and figures are included only selectively. Authors will be notified that the letter has been received. If the letter is selected for publication, the author will be notified about 3 weeks before the publication date. Unpublished letters cannot be returned.
Annals welcomes electronically submitted letters.
- Copyright ©2004 by the American College of Physicians
