[Severe hypernatraemia can be treated with continuous veno-venous haemodialysis]

Hypernatraemia is a common and potentially serious condition in the intensive care unit (ICU). We present a case, a 84-year-old man, who was admitted to the ICU with septic shock due to pneumonia. After successful fluid resuscitation and antibiotic treatment the patient was stable, but severely oedematose and developed hypernatraemia (S-Na 165 mmol/l) with cerebral symptoms. Urine-Na was very low. The condition was successfully treated with continuous veno-venous haemodialysis (CVVHD), adding extra Na to the dialysate in order to correct the hypernatraemia at a rate of 8-15 mmol/l per day. Correction of hypernatremia using CVVHD is effective and safe.