HYPONATREMIA

Course overview

HYPONATREMIA IS DEFINED AS A SERUM SODIUM CONCENTRATION OF LESS THAN 135 MEQ/L BUT CAN VARY TO A SMALL EXTENT IN DIFFERENT LABORATORIES. HYPONATREMIA IS A COMMON ELECTROLYTE ABNORMALITY CAUSED BY AN EXCESS OF TOTAL BODY WATER WHEN COMPARED TO TOTAL BODY SODIUM CONTENT. EDELMAN DISCOVERED THAT SERUM SODIUM CONCENTRATION DOES NOT DEPEND ON TOTAL BODY SODIUM BUT THE RATIO OF TOTAL BODY SOLUTES (E.G., TOTAL BODY SODIUM AND TOTAL BODY POTASSIUM) TO TOTAL BODY WATER. HYPONATREMIA REPRESENTS AN IMBALANCE IN THIS RATIO WHERE TOTAL BODY WATER IS MORE THAN TOTAL BODY SOLUTES. THIS ACTIVITY EXPLAINS WHEN THIS CONDITION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ON DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS, ARTICULATES HOW TO PROPERLY EVALUATE FOR THIS CONDITION, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.