Ogata Masatomo, Morikubo Satoru, Imai Naohiko, Shibagaki Yugo, Yazawa Masahiko
Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Japan.
Intern Med. 2022 May 15;61(10):1567-1571. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.8285-21. Epub 2021 Oct 19.
Serum tonicity is defined by the serum concentrations of sodium (sNa) and glucose, which can promote free water movement across intra/extracellular compartments. Rapid changes in serum tonicity can cause brain damage. We herein report an educational case of a patient with hyponatremia (sNa: 112 mEq/L) concomitant with acute alcoholic pancreatitis. The cause of hyponatremia was considered complex. Pseudo- and trans-locational natremia was secondary to hyperglycemia (721 mg/dL) and hypertriglyceridemia (1,768 mg/dL), respectively, and true hypotonic hyponatremia. Regarding sNa correction, rapid correction was suspected. However, this was safely managed by monitoring tonicity (not sNa or osmolarity), thereby avoiding brain damage.