Treatment strategies in the polydipsia-hyponatremia syndrome

Abstract

The clinician must first identify the patient at risk of developing water intoxication and its complications including seizures, coma, and death. In the polydipsic patient, behavioral approaches correcting or limiting polydipsia may prevent progression to dilutional hyponatremia. Drugs that oppose the central release or renal action of antidiuretic hormone will usually normalize morning serum sodium concentration in patients with the polydipsia-hyponatremia syndrome. The clinician can monitor such patients by observing diurnal changes in body weight. Specific interventions derive from specific weight changes. For the symptomatic patient suffering from water intoxication, intravenous administration of saline raising the serum sodium concentration to the 120-mmol/L range, followed by fluid restriction to further correct hyponatremia, will almost always successfully correct hyponatremia and protect against central pontine myelinolysis.