Hyponatriämie-Grundwissen für Neurologie und Psychiatrie

Hyponatremia is a common disorder of the body’s fluid balance – and in most cases does not indicate sodium deficiency. Its pathophysiology is heterogenous, and quite often acute diseases of the central nervous system or drugs prescribed by neurologists and psychiatrists play a relevant role. Hyponatremia can present with a nonspecific feeling of malaise or is an incidental finding during routine laboratory tests without any overt signs and symptoms, and it sometimes manifests as an epileptic seizure. Treatment is guided by symptom severity and underlying pathophysiology; however, a very rapid correction of serum sodium levels should be avoided, otherwise, there is a risk of severe secondary neurologic damage called the osmotic demyelination syndrome.