MO001: Hydroelectrolytic Disorders During and Beyond the Month of Ramadan

Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIMS Fasting during Ramadan is religiously obligatory for Muslims, who account for 1.8 billion of the world's population (24%). The lifestyle habits of Muslims significantly change during Ramadan. The objective of this study is to determine the incidence of hospital admissions for electrolyte disturbances comparatively during Ramadan and the month before and to review the risk factors in a Tunisian population specimen. METHOD We carried out a retrospective study on the hospitalizations for hydroelectrolytic troubles in the nephrology department during Ramadan, i.e. April 2021 (group 1) and one a month earlier, i.e. March 2021 (group 2). RESULTS We have collected 14 patients for group 1 and 9 patients for group 2. The incidence of hospitalizations due to electrolytic disorders amounted to 46.6% for group 1 versus 20.9% for group 2. During Ramadan, the most frequently occurring ionic disorders were hyperkalemia in 71.4% (n = 10), hyponatremia in 21.4% of cases (n = 3) and hypernatremia in 7.1% of cases (n = 1). As compared with group 2, the ionic abnormalities encountered outside the month of youth were hyperkalemia in 66.6% of cases (n = 6), hyponatremia associated with hyperkalemia in 22.2% of cases (n = 2) and hypokalemia in 11.1% of cases (n = 1). All cases of hyponatremia were of depletion in group 1, hyperkalemia was due to dietary error with chronic renal failure, and hypernatremia was secondary to hydrosodic wasting. By reviewing the factors predisposing to develop hydrolytic disorders, we find a higher frequency in group 1 of hypertensive patients (78.5%), chronic kidney failure (35.7%), heart failure and diabetes (28% each) compared with group 2, six patients had hypertension (66.6%), three chronic kidney failure patients (33.3%), one diabetic patient (1.1%) and no patient had heart failure. CONCLUSION At the end of this study, we note that despite the occurrence of the month of Ramadan in spring and the tempered weather, the incidence of ion disorders remains high in a population at risk. Therefore, a strategy of nutritional and behavioral education during the Ramadan month is recommended, with the necessity of a close biological follow-up. This educational therapy must be individualized and specific for each individual patient, and adaptations of the medication are most required to avoid the development of ion disorders.