Symptomatic hyponatremia with hypoxia is a medical emergency

Abstract

Patients presenting with the combined finding of severe symptomatic hyponatremia and hypoxia have such high mortality rates that they should be admitted to an intensive care unit and intubated sooner rather than later. Without delay, these patients need rapid correction of their serum sodium by 8-10 mequiv. per liter and an increase in their partial pressure of arterial oxygen to values above 70 mm Hg. © 2006 International Society of Nephrology.