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Hypernatremic Psychosis in the Elderly: Case Reports
Author(s) -
JANA D. K.,
ROMANOJANA L.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1973.tb01212.x
Subject(s) - hypernatremia , medicine , thirst , clearance , diabetes insipidus , ambulatory , hyponatremia , psychosis , pediatrics , intensive care medicine , psychiatry , surgery , sodium , chemistry , organic chemistry , urology
Hydropenia with hypertonicity and Hypernatremia may sometimes give rise to psychomotor restlessness and a confusional state in elderly patients. On admission to a mental hospital, a psychiatric diagnosis may be made and the hypernatremia overlooked. Four such cases are reported. On admission the patients were ambulatory. There were no localizing neurologic signs, no history of acute illness, and no sensation of excessive thirst. Blood studies revealed hypernatremia. With intravenous administration of hypotonic fluids, the confusional stage cleared up. As there was no evidence of primary cerebral, renal or endocrine lesions, apparently there was no primary derangement of the mechanisms for regulating sodium and water.