Med. praxi. 2016;13(5):261-262 | DOI: 10.36290/med.2016.056
Hyponatraemia – a frequent cause of hospitalizations, not only in elderly patients
- Klinika nefrologie 1. LF UK a VFN, Praha
Hyponatraemia is a potentially life-threatening condition. Sodium and potassium blood concentrations are measured virtually in each acutely hospitalized patient; thus, in the hospital setting, this diagnosis is not overlooked if it is already present on admission. Hyponatraemia that develops later, often on the basis of the treatment received, remains a problem. Differential diagnosis is challenging because several mechanisms can act simultaneously in a particular patient. There are currently European treatment guidelines the knowledge and use of which can markedly facilitate the situation. However, they are not entirely applicable to all patients and for the majority of cases there are no randomized trials to confirm the adequacy of particular approaches.
Keywords: hyponatremia, hypokalemia, thiazides, loop diuretics, guidelines
Published: December 1, 2016 Show citation
