Breen TJ, Brueske B, Sidhu MS, et al. - By performing a retrospective review, researchers examined the link between serum chloride concentrations and mortality in unselected cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) patients. This study included 9,426 patients with a mean age of 67±15 years (37% females). Admission hypochloremia and hyperchloremia were present in 1,384 (15%) and in 1,606 (17%) patients, respectively. In this study population, abnormal serum chloride on admission to the CICU was shown to be related to increased short- and long-term mortality, with hypochloremia identified as a strong independent predictor.