[Renal protection in acute neurosurgical diseases--effect of a low dose dopamine with reference to acute renal failure and hypernatremia in patients with dehydration].

The authors reviewed the effect of low dose dopamine administration (1-5 micrograms/kg/min) in neurosurgical patients with acute renal failure (5 cases) or hypernatremia (7 cases) in whom cerebral dehydration therapy for intracranial hypertension was thought to be causative of these disorders. Cases with hypernatremia (serum sodium over 155 mEq/l) were considered in the stage of impending acute renal failure as in the majority of cases serum creatinine levels were mildly elevated while urinary sodium was markedly diminished. Associated with systemic hypovolemia, in cases with acute renal failure (with serum creatinine over 3.5 mg/dl and urinary output of less than 20 ml/hr for more than 4 hour duration) the urinary sodium levels were less than 20 mEq/l. In all the cases treated by low dose dopamine, urinary output and sodium increased within 6 hours and in the following 24 hours stabilized urinary output with its elevated sodium (some 100 mEq/l) was obtained. As the result, elevated urea-nitrogen or serum sodium was rather easily washed out and the patients were kept adequately hydrated afterwards. Any complications such as aggravation of cerebral edema or convulsive disorder were not associated with this regime. The authors, therefore, would emphasize that low dose dopamine administration resulting in sodium diuresis and increase in renal blood flow is a practical way of method in treating patients with hypernatremia or acute renal failure caused by hyperosmolar agent infusion in their acute stage.