Annals in the Clinic
Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte disorder in hospitalized patients. Hospital-associated hyponatremia includes community-acquired (e.g., hyponatremia on admission) and hospital-acquired hyponatremia. Acute-onset hyponatremia requires rapid treatment with hypertonic saline to decrease cerebral edema. In cases of chronic hyponatremia (>48 hours), the brain has time to normalize cell volume by losing solutes. However, even mild chronic cases can have adverse outcomes, such as decreased cognition, osteoporosis, increased risk for falls, and fractures. Hyponatremia is associated with increased hospital length of stay, readmissions, morbidity, and mortality. Prompt recognition and appropriate treatment are therefore necessary to improve outcomes.
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Annals in the Clinic
Annals In the Clinic is a monthly feature in Annals of Internal Medicine introduced in January 2007 that focuses on practical management of patients with common clinical conditions. It offers evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about screening, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, and patient education and provides physicians with tools to improve the quality of care.
