A study of hyponatraemia in the in-patients of a Geriatric Department during a 10-month period showed that 77 patients (11.3) had plasma sodium concentrations below 130 mmol/1. Thirty-one patients (4.5) had severe hyponatraemia of less than 125 mmol/l.Seventy-three per cent of hyponatraemias were iatrogenic caused by diuretic or intravenous fluid therapy. Hydrochlorothiazide/amiloride combination has the greatest tendency to produce hyponatraemia compared to all other diuretics (P<0.01). Clinical features attributable to hyponatraemia were present in 61. Nine patients needed hospital admission solely due to hyponatraemia. The mortality rate for hyponatraemia was twice the overall rate for the unit.
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