Serum sodium and potassium levels in preeclampsia: A case-control study in a large tertiary hospital in Ghana

AbstractBackground: Preeclampsia remains a poorly understood complication of pregnancy affecting 5–14% pregnancies worldwide. Recent studies indicate that serum electrolytes may play a role in preeclampsia since it is a vascular endothelial disorder. Aim: To compare serum sodium and potassium levels between preeclamptics and normotensive pregnant women in a tertiary hospital in Ghana. Methods and materials: This was a case-control study consisting of 30 preeclamptics and 30 normotensive pregnant women recruited consecutively at their first third trimester pre-natal visit at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Serum sodium and potassium were analysed using Sherwood Flame Photometer (Model 420 Sherwood Scientific Ltd, UK). Analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS®) software version 20.0 and presented as means (standard deviation). A p-value of ≤0.05 was judged significant. Results: There was a significantly reduced (p < 0.001) serum sodium levels in preeclamptics (mean = 136.13; SD = 4....