Hyponatremia
NCLEX-RN glossary · Pharmacological And Parenteral Therapies
Definition
A serum sodium concentration below 135 mEq/L, indicating a relative excess of water compared to sodium in the extracellular fluid.
Hyponatremia in plain English
The primary threat is neurologic instability; as water moves into cells via osmosis, cerebral edema can cause seizures, coma, or brainstem herniation. A frequent error is over-correcting sodium levels too rapidly, which can lead to the rule-based safety violation of osmotic demyelination syndrome.
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