| dc.description.abstract | Hypernatremia could be caused by loss of water (increased loss or decreased intake),
and although rarely, due to over intake of natrium. Patients who are at risk of hypernatremia are
those with disturbance of thirst or limited access of water. Several factors that could cause
hypernatremia especially among geriatric patients are, as follows: change of thirst stimuli,
decreased ability to concentrate urine, and decreased total body water. Clinical signs of
hypernatremia are usually not specific, however, patients tend to become symptomatic if
hypernatemia occurs acutely. Hypernatremia clinical signs are mostly neurological related to the
severity and the change of serum sodium concentration. Complications of hypernatremia are inter
alia shrinkage of brain tissue due to the movement of water from intracellular to extracellular fluid
which results in injury of brain vessels, bleeding in the brain, and a variety of neurological signs
due to brain involovement which could lead to death. Management of hypernatremia has to be
carried out accurately and thoroughly because inaccurate or too-rapid correction could risk the
occurrence of cerebral edema. | en_US |
