The problem of acute hyponatremia in hospitalized children: The solution is in the solution

摘要

Every year in our hospitals children die not from their underlying disease but because of acute hyponatremia associated with an intravenous (IV) infusion of hypotonic saline prescribed as maintenance fluid. Children undergoing elective surgery seem to be particularly at risk, even after relatively minor procedures (1, 2). How can this be, or more importantly, how can we continue to let this happen. Is there a solution to this problem that would prevent these types of catastroph-ies that is simple, logical, and easy to implement? To answer that question we need to understand the physiologic disturbances that cause acute hyponatremia and cerebral edema in children.