Baseline characteristics at the time of index hospital admission
| Baseline characteristics | All patients (n=368) |
|---|---|
| Age, mean (SD), years | 86.7 (4.1) |
| Female, N (%) | 216 (58.7) |
| Body weight, mean (SD), kg | |
| Women | 61.3 (13.3) |
| Men | 71.3 (12.5) |
| Laboratory values | |
| eGFR*, mean (SD), mL/min/1.73 m2 | 40.3 (18.5) |
| Haemoglobin level, mean (SD), mg/mL | |
| Sodium level, N (%) | |
| Hyponatraemia (<137 mEq/L) | 112 (30.4) |
| Within range (137–145 mEq/L) | 247 (67.1) |
| Hypernatraemia (>145 mEq/L) | 9 (2.4) |
| Potassium level, N (%) | |
| Hypokalaemia (<3.5 mEq/L) | 49 (13.3) |
| Within range (3.5–5 mEq/L) | 295 (80.2) |
| Hyperkalaemia (>5 mEq/L) | 24 (6.5) |
| Social support, N (%) | |
| Living alone or with spouse | 301 (81.8) |
| Living in a nursing home | 67 (18.2) |
| Medical history, N (%) | |
| Heart failure | 116 (31.5) |
| Diabetes | 87 (23.6) |
| Pulmonary disease (asthma or COPD) | 44 (12.0) |
| Arrhythmia | 125 (34.0) |
| Malignant disease (past and present) | 54 (14.7) |
| Coronary artery disease | 114 (31.0) |
| Cerebral vascular lesion (past) | 57 (15.5) |
| Myocardial infarct (past) | 87 (23.6) |
| Hypertension | 147 (39.9) |
| Dementia | 47 (12.8) |
| Annual incidence of rehospitalisations (95% CI) | 1.15 (1.01 to 1.32) |
| Annual incidence of mortality (95% CI) | 0.40 (0.33 to 0.48) |
*Cockroft-Gault formula eGFR.
COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate.