Elderly Severe Hyponatremia: Case Report and Literature Review

Most authors define hyponatremia as a serum sodium concentration below the lower limit of normality, lower than 135 meq/L1, but there is still a discussion on best values of reference [1]. Characterized as a hydroelectrolytic disorder, hyponatremia is very common in elderly, hospitalized individuals and may be commonly associated with neoplasms, liver cirrhosis, heart failure and renal failure. Physiologically, it is inferred that the increase of water triggers hyponatremia and not a direct sodium low, even in situations of hypovolemic hyponatremia [1].