[Sodium determination in biological fluids]

Electrolyte disorders are frequently observed in nephrology and intensive care unit department and Na determination is routinely performed in biochemistry laboratories. Three methods are currently available. Flame photometry remains the reference method. With this method the serum sample is diluted before the actual measurement is obtained. Results are expressed as molarity (per Liter of plasma). Potentiometric methods have an increasing importance due to the advances in ion sensitive (selective) electrodes (ISE). Whereas the instruments for routine chemical analysis typically use indirect potentiometry (involving te dilution of samples) to measure sodium levels, the equipment for measuring arterial blood gases use direct potentiometry without any dilution. Thus, results obtained with indirect potentiometry are expressed in molarity (per liter of plasma) while results obtained with direct potentiometry are initially given in morality (per kg of plasma water) then converted in molarity. Analytical performances are in all cases satisfactory and therefore all the methods could be used in both normal and pathological ranges. Methods involving sample dilution such as flame photometry or indirect potentiometry, the serum sodium value would be expected to be low in case of decrease plasma water (pseudohyponatremia). By contrast, with direct potentiometry where no sample dilution takes place, no interference would be expected since the activity of sodium in the water phase only is being measured. Thus, the classical pseudohyponatremia observed with hyperlipemia or paraproteinemia are not further observed with direct potentiometry. These differences in methodology should be taken into account to explain discrepancies between results obtained with classical biochemistry analyser and with blood gas apparatus.