Tidsskrift for den Norske lægeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny række
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Tidsskr. Nor. Laegeforen. · Jan 2008
Case Reports[An 83-year-old woman with coma and severe hypernatremia].
Several cases of hypernatremia due to salt intoxication have been described. Paediatric patients and individuals with dementia or mental illness are those most commonly affected. It is a condition with a poor prognosis and a high mortality rate. ⋯ On the basis of elevated serum sodium and urine sodium, normovolemia and normal diuresis, we concluded that hypernatremia was caused by salt intoxication. Our patient died a few hours after admittance. Recommended treatment is to maintain adequate diuresis with a loop diuretic, to and replace the ongoing fluid loss. Haemodialysis is an alternative if diuresis is inadequate. There is no consensus regarding type of replacement fluid or optimal rate of fluid replacement for hypernatremia due to salt intoxication.