Open AccessDisorders of sodium balance in COVID-19 patients: two Tunisian patients report
Author(s) -
G. Saad,
A. Ben Abdelkrim,
Yosra Hasni El Abed,
S. Tahri,
A. Gorchène,
A. Maaroufi,
M. Chadli,
Mansour Njah,
K. Ach
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
the pan african medical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.287
H-Index - 30
ISSN - 1937-8688
DOI - 10.11604/pamj.2021.39.199.27626
Subject(s) - medicine , hyponatremia , hypernatremia , covid-19 , electrolyte disorder , respiratory system , disease , coronavirus , intensive care medicine , pediatrics , sodium , infectious disease (medical specialty) , chemistry , organic chemistry
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first reported in December 2019. The disease is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome virus corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Mild respiratory symptoms are the most common manifestations of SARS-CoV-2, but new signs are constantly being discovered as it spreads. Disorders of sodium balance are increasingly described in patients with SARS-CoV-2. We report, here, the cases of two patients presented with COVID-19 and in whom we discovered sodium disorders. The first patient is a 74-year-old man who presented with fatal hypernatremia. The second patient is a 66-years-old man presented with COVID-19 and euvolemic hyponatremia attributed to syndrome of inappropriate anti-diuretic hormone secretion (SIADH). This hyponatremia persisted long after the respiratory signs disappeared. Sodium balance disorders are increasingly described in the literature; special attention should be paid to the electrolyte status of COVID-19 patients. Pathophysiological mechanisms associating SARS-CoV-2 with these disorders are being studied.