Hyponatremia – the bane of my existence as a Hospitalist Doc! Add that to the list of other pesky issues to deal with – like vertigo, headaches, generalized weakness, mild confusion, etc.. The pathophysiology of various causes of Hyponatremia makes it convoluted to remember – Instead, I find it easier & faster to recall the common culprits of hyponatremia first & see if the patient’s clinical picture fits!
‘SIADH’ is a well-known acronym in the context of hyponatremia, so I use it to recall causes of low sodium levels quickly :
S – SIADH, Salt-wasting
I – Increased Intake of Water (i.e. Polydipsia) or Alcohol ( i.e. Beer Potomania)
A – Adrenal Insufficiency, AKI (& CKD)
D – Dehydration
H – Heart failure, Hepatic disease, Hypothyroidism*
*Hypothyroidism as a cause of low sodium is rare and is seen in severe hypothyroid cases
Here’s a useful graphic to keep handy :
