Hyponatremia in the emergency department: an overview of diagnostic and therapeutic approach

Abstract

Introduction: Hyponatremia, defined as a serum sodium concentration <135 mmol/l, is a frequent electrolyte disorder in patients presenting to an emergency department (ED). In this context, appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic management is rarely performed and challenging due to complex pathophysiologic mechanisms and a variety of underlying diseases. Objective: To implement a feasible pathway of central diagnostic and therapeutic steps in the setting of an ED. Methods: We conducted a narrative review of the literature, considering current practice guidelines on diagnosis and treatment of hyponatremia. Underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms and management of adverse treatment effects are outlined. We also report four cases observed in our ED. Results: Symptoms associated with hyponatremia may appear unspecific and range from mild cognitive deficits to seizures and coma. The severity of hyponatremia-induced neurological manifestation and the risk of poor outcome is mainly driven by the rapidity of serum sodium decrease. Therefore, emergency treatment of hyponatremia should be guided by symptom severity and the assumed onset of hyponatremia development, distinguishing acute (<48 hours) versus chronic hyponatremia (>48 hours). Conclusions: Especially in moderately or severely symptomatic patients presenting to an ED, the application of a standard management approach appears to be critical to improve overall outcome. Furthermore, an adequate work-up in the ED enables further diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation during hospitalization.