Severe hypernatremia caused by age, isolation, and obstructive uropathy.

Although this is an extremely interesting case report from a medical viewpoint, inasmuch as it presents an unusual cause of hypernatremia, it is probably even more important because of its sociologic implications. The basic underlying causes are common in the aged, and as the number of senior and ultimately senior senior citizens increases, a repetition of the events enumerated here can be predicted in increasing numbers of patients.