ICMR Studentship Protocol

Protocol for ICMR Short term Research Studentship

Study of Electrolyte Imbalances in patients undergoing treatment for cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of mortality among populations of all countries of the world. The heart continues to bear the brunt of changing lifestyles with trends only showing a decline in healthy living. Though modern medicine has been successful in controlling diseases like rheumatic heart disease and bacterial endocarditis through proactive community based interventions and advent of newer drugs, the focus has now shifted to the modern epidemics of atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction and stroke. The emphasis on cardiovascular medicine and its implications is ever increasing in the search for novel drugs and treatments that can alleviate disease and improve prognosis for patients with these life-threatening conditions. Newer treatments are being developed by the day and present universal hope to both patients and doctors. But as with most therapeutics, the accompanying disturbances in the internal milieu of human physiology are not completely understood. Latest research continues to shape treatment protocols as a result of past experiences with the newer drugs. In this study an attempt is made to understand the imbalances in the all-pervasive electrolyte equilibrium in the body occurring as a result of medical intervention in cardiovascular disease.

Aims & Objectives
To study the levels of various electrolytes in patients undergoing treatment for cardiovascular diseases.
To study and correlate these levels with any predisposing factors present in these patients.
To find, if any, the impact of this electrolyte status on the outcome of treatment and prognosis for the patient.

Material and Methods

A sample of 50 patients admitted to the cardiology and medicine wards for cardiac ailments will be studied over a period of 2 months. A standard pro forma will be designed to elicit the necessary information like age, sex, occupation, education, habits like drinking and smoking, emotional stress factors etc and all the relevant information. All the routine investigations will be studied in addition to the serum electrolytes, which include serum Na+, K+, Ca++ and Mg++ etc.

Type of Study

The study proposed is a Clinical study.

Analysis & Implications of Study

Many of the drugs used in treating cardiac disease work directly through interference with cellular electrolyte transport systems. For example digoxin works by increasing the intracellular Ca++ thus enabling the positive inotropic effect while furosemide increases loss of Cl- anions to enable diuresis. In this study, an attempt is made to correlate the change in levels of some electrolytes with that of others and their bearing on the overall progress of disease as well as treatment. The data collected will be subjected to suitable statistical analysis with an attempt to identify, if any, departures from the normally electrolyte changes. Any changes thus found will suggest scope for further research to understand possible treatment modifications that will preserve electrolyte balance.