SIADH and hyponatraemia: Foreword

Abstract

Hyponatraemia is common, affecting about one in five of all hospitalized patients. Minor degrees of chronic hyponatraemia cause cognitive and motor impairment, and severe hyponatraemia is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) is a common cause of hyponatraemia and is often poorly understood and inappropriately treated. Clinical evaluation and simple biochemical assessment should guide management. The introduction of vasopressin antagonists, or vaptans, into clinical practice heralds the beginning of a new and exciting era for this important group of disorders. The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press [on behalf of ERA-EDTA].2009Oxford University PressThis is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2. 5/uk/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © The Author 2009.. Published by Oxford University Press [on behalf of ERA-EDTA]. © The Author 2009.