[Disorders of water and sodium balance in intensive care patients]

Intensive care patients often suffer from hypo- or hypernatremia. These dysnatremias reflect an antidiuretic-hormone (ADH)-related water imbalance and are the result of the underlying disease. However, they are often triggered by drug side effects and exacerbated by an intentional or unintentional sodium imbalance. Dysnatremias are also caused by artificial ventilation; however, the mechanisms behind this are beyond the scope of this article. Considerations regarding etiology, water and sodium balance and, in particular, the variable in urine dilution or concentration, take priority over a brisk normalization of sodium concentration. Therefore, the 3 most important factors are: 1) delivery of water and sodium to the collecting duct; 2) generation and maintenance of an osmotic pressure gradient exerted by solutes present in the renal medullary interstitium; 3) the regulated water permeability of collecting duct cells under the control of antidiuretic hormone. With these, most disorders can already be identified from patient history and simple factors such as body weight and serum and urine osmolality.