Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Hyponatraemia is a common electrolyte abnormality seen among hospitalised patients. We describe below, an inpatient seen with severe hyponatraemia.Case description: 71yr old gentleman with no co-morbidities, admitted with acute confusion and slurred speech. Physical examination: Observations: Temperature 35C, heart rate 53/min, otherwise stable. GCS 15/15, no focal neurolo...

Background: Severe hyponatremia can be associated with oxytocin infusion. The incidence of hyponatraemia after oxytocin is around 5%. There are reported cases of serious neurological complications including seizures, coma and maternal death.Case report: A 37-year-old female with known partial central diabetes insipidus following a head injury was established on Desmopressin nasal spray 10 mg twice a day. She had an uneventful pregnancy on the same dose. ...

Hyponatremia due to water intoxication is often associated with mental disorders like schizophrenia and psychosis. Patients usually present with headaches, seizures and altered consciousness. The mainstay treatment in these cases is fluid restriction. A 31-year-old man was brought to the hospital following a fall and disorientation. He had a history of Schizophrenia which had been well controlled on risperidone. A few weeks before this presentation, he drank about 20 litres of...

A fit and well 41-year-old lady who was 10-days post-partum was referred to our Endocrine team for hyponatraemia (serum sodium 117 mmol/l). She had a spontaneous vaginal delivery but had 1.5L blood loss due to difficulty with placenta removal. Her baby is well with no medical issues. During pregnancy, she was started on aspirin due to maternal age and had diet-controlled gestational diabetes. She presented to hospital with extreme lethargy. She also reported lightheadedness a...

Hyponatraemia is the most common electrolyte abnormality encountered in clinical practice and second most common endocrine referral. Acute severe hyponatremia is potentially life-threatening and must be treated promptly and aggressively. SIADH, Cortisol deficiency, Liver Disease, Heart disease, certain medications and excess alcohol intake can frequently lead to hyponatremia. We present a case of 41 year old male known to have alcoholic liver disease and depression who present...