Nursing Hyponatremia Case Studies

Many patients have multiple diagnoses when they are admitted in the hospital care setting. My particular patient eight different diagnoses so I had multiple options to choose from to write this paper about. I decided to select hyponatremia because I know electrolyte imbalance is a very common issue. The Understanding Pathology textbook by Sue E. Heuther and Kathryn L. McCane state that hyponatremia is a sodium deficit or a serum sodium level that is less than 135 mEq/L. This in turn leads to a low serum osmolality. Hyponatremia can occur due to loss of sodium, inadequate intake of sodium, or dilution of sodium by water excess. This electrolyte imbalance often takes place in the elderly population.
Signs and Symptoms Hyponatremia has several signs and symptoms. Some of the common symptoms listed by the Mayo Clinic include nausea and vomiting, headache, confusion, fatigue, restlessness, irritability, muscle weakness, spasms or cramps, seizures, and even coma. It was already stated that a serum sodium laboratory value below 135 mEq/L is a sign that a patient is hyponatremic so it is very important to pay attention to your client’s lab …show more content…
Hypertonic solutions are often times given, but it is important that these are used cautiously and given slowly so you do not induce the patient with seizures and effects to the brain (Huether and McCance). Since this imbalance has symptoms such as nausea, headache, etc. patients are often times given medications to control these manifestations. Nursing interventions that can be applied to a patient with hyponatremia include administering the patient’s prescribed meds, monitor the patient for muscle changes, and look for any neurological changes. The nurse should also monitor the patient’s intake and output. One of the most important interventions is monitoring the patient’s electrolyte levels very carefully especially in the