HYPONATREMIA AS A PREDICTOR OF PERFORATED ACUTE APPENDICITIS IN PEDIATRIC POPULATION: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

Prospective study of 184 pediatric patients demonstrates hyponatremia (sodium ≤135 mmol/L) as a highly discriminative marker for perforated appendicitis, with 94.7% sensitivity and 88.5% specificity. Children under 5 years with symptoms >24 hours and low sodium levels are at highest risk for perforation.