Hypernatremia

DEFINITIONS

Hipernatremia (blood sodium levels are high) is a condition in which sodium levels in the blood of more than 145 mEq / L blood.

CAUSE

In hipernatremia, the body contains too little water compared to the amount of sodium.
Blood sodium concentration is usually increased abnormally when fluid loss exceeds sodium loss, which usually happens when drinking too little water.

Concentration of high blood sodium implies that a person does not feel thirsty even though he should thirsty, or he was thirsty but can not get enough water to drink.
Hipernatremia also happens to a person with:
- Abnormal kidney function
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Excessive sweating.

Hipernatremia most common in old age.
At the parents usually thirst formed slower and less powerful than the young.
Old age is only capable of lying in bed alone or who have dementia (pilkun), may not be able to get enough water even though the nerves are still functioning thirst.
In addition, in old age, the kidney's ability to condense the urine began to decrease, so that can not hold water well.
Parents who take diuretics, which forced the kidney secretes more water, have to suffer hipernatremia risk, especially if the weather is hot or if they are sick and do not drink enough water.

Hipernatemia always a serious situation, especially in the elderly.
Nearly half of all older people hospitalized because hipernatremia died.
The high mortality rate because patients may also have severe disease which allows hipernatremia.

Hipernatremia can also occur because the kidneys remove too much water, as happens in diabetes insipidus.
Pituitary gland issue too little antidiuretic hormone (antidiuretic hormone causes the kidneys retain water), or kidney did not give proper response to hormones.
Diabetes insipidus is rarely experienced hyponatremia if they have a normal thirst and drinking enough water.

The main cause of hipernatremi:

1. The head injury or surgery involving the nervous pituitary gland
2. Interference from other electrolytes (hypercalcaemia and hypokalaemia)
3. The use of drugs (lithium, demeclocycline, diuretics)
4. Excessive fluid loss (diarrhea, vomiting, fever, excessive sweating)
5. Sickle cell disease
6. Diabetes insipidus.

SYMPTOMS

The main symptoms of hipernatremia a result of brain damage.
Hipernatremia heavy can cause:
- Confusion
- Muscle spasms
- Cramps throughout the body
- Coma
- Death.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis based on results of blood tests and symptoms.

TREATMENT

Hipernatremia treated with fluids.
In all cases, especially mild cases, fluids given intravenously (IV).
To help determine if the purchase has sufficient fluids, blood tests done every few hours.
Blood sodium concentration is slowly lowered, because the improvement is too fast can cause permanent brain damage.

Examination of blood or urine is added to find the cause of the high concentration of sodium.
If the cause has been found, can be treated more specifically.
Eg for diabetes insipidus given antidiuretic hormone (vasopressin).