Association of gender with serum potassium, sodium and calcium disorders after hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage.

Abstract Objective To determine the association of gender with serum potassium, sodium and calcium disorders in patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage, and meanwhile investigate other risk factors. Methods 516 patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage were retrospectively enrolled. The clinical characteristics were collected. Serum potassium, sodium and calcium levels were measured. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify risk factors. Results Hypokalemia is the most common electrolyte disorder (50.2%) after hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage, followed by hyponatremia (19.8%), hypocalcemia (13.8%) and hypernatremia (12.0%), hyperkalemia (2.5%) and hypercalcemia (0.4%). Most of electrolyte disorders occurred within a week after the onset of hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage. The incidence rate of hypokalemia was higher in females than in males (61.7% vs 42.3%, χ2=18.676, P 0.05). Gender was associated with hypokalemia with females having increased risk, while gender was not associated with hypernatremia, hypocalcemia and hyponatremia. In addition, surgical treatment was a risk factor of hypokalemia, hyponatremia, hypocalcemia and hypernatremia, both breaking into ventricle and age were risk factors of hyponatremia and hypocalcemia, and bleeding site was a risk factor of hypocalcemia and hypernatremia. Conclusion In the treatment of female patients with hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage, the clinician should pay attention to potassium chloride supplementation and monitor its intensity. Within a week after intracerebral hemorrhage, individuals most prone to electrolyte disorders determined according to the identified risk factors should be monitored as early as possible, and the disorders should be promptly corrected.