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Universit de Montral

Practical Approach
To Patients With
Electrolyte Disorders
When dealing with hospitalized patients, electrolyte disorders, such as
hypernatremia, hyponatremia, hyperkalemia and hypokalemia, can cause
complications and should be guarded against.
By Andr Gougoux, MD, FRCPC

lectrolyte disorders are common clinical

problems, especially in hospitalized patients.
Since these disorders are accompanied by significant morbidity and mortality, an appropriate and
rapid treatment is mandatory.

Dr. Gougoux is professor of

medicine and physiology,
University of Montreal, Montreal,
Quebec. His areas of medical
interest include renal diseases
and electrolyte disorders.

Stability of the extracellular fluid. Indeed, the

ionic composition of the extracellular fluid surrounding our cells must be maintained within
physiologic limits by the homeostatic mechanisms
of the body. For example, it is important to keep
plasma sodium concentration around 140 milliequivalents per litre (mEq/L) and potassium concentration around 4 mEq/L.
Hypernatremia and hyponatremia. When
natremia is too far from the normal value, the
induced osmotic shift of water across the cell
membrane markedly changes the cell volume.
This volume decreases when hypernatremia and
hyperosmolality shift water from the cells to the
extracellular compartment. In contrast, cell volThe Canadian Journal of CME / June 2001 51

Electrolyte Disorders

Table 1

Table 2

Clinical Manifestations
of Electrolyte Disorders

Etiology of Hypernatremia

Hypernatremia/hyponatremia
-Seizures, coma
Hyperkalemia/hypokalemia
-Paralysis
-Cardiac arrhythmias

ume increases when hyponatremia and hypoosmolality shift water into cells. These changes in
cell volume are especially important in the central
nervous system and produce seizures, coma and
various other neurologic signs and symptoms
(Table 1).1

Hypernatremia occurs when plasma

sodium concentration exceeds
145 mEq/L, reflecting a deficit of water
for the amount of sodium in the
extracellular fluid.

Hyperkalemia and hypokalemia. The normal

ratio of around 30 of the intracellular (Ki) over the
extracellular (Ke) potassium concentration is
increased by hypokalemia or decreased by hyperkalemia. The resting membrane potential of -90
millivolts becomes more negative when
hypokalemia increases the Ki/Ke ratio and less
negative when hyperkalemia decreases this ratio.
Because hyperpolarization and hypopolarization
modify the excitability of nerve and muscle cells,
they induce paralysis and life-threatening cardiac
arrythmias, including cardiac arrest (Table 1).
52 The Canadian Journal of CME / June 2001

Decreased water intake

-Decreased thirst
-No water available
-Drinking impossible
Increased urinary excretion of water
-Diabetes insipidus (central or
nephrogenic)
-Osmotic diuresis (glucose, mannitol)

Hypernatremia
Definition. Hypernatremia occurs when plasma
sodium concentration exceeds 145 mEq/L,2
reflecting a deficit of water for the amount of sodium in the extracellular fluid.
Etiology. In most cases, hypernatremia results
from a negative water balance when the water
intake is lower than its urinary excretion. Two categories are observed according to the volume and
the aspect of the urine:
1. Water intake is decreased when only a small volume of concentrated urine is excreted. This is
observed when: thirst is reduced in various
neurologic conditions; when water is not
available (e.g., in a desert; and when the
patient is unable to drink for a variety of reasons) (Table 2).
2.
Urinary excretion of water is increased
when a large volume of dilute urine is obtained in
patients with central (lack of vasopressin) or
nephrogenic (renal resistance to vasopressin) diabetes insipidus. Osmotic diuresis is characterized
by the increased urinary excretion of osmoles,
such as glucose, when diabetic patients have a
marked hyperglycemia, or by the increased urinary excretion of mannitol, an osmotic diuretic. In
this condition, hypernatremia results from the uri-

Electrolyte Disorders

nary excretion of an approximately half-isotonic

saline solution.
Treatment. The first step is to minimize, if
present, the large ongoing loss of water. For
example, vasopressin must be given in central
diabetes insipidus or insulin must be given to
markedly hyperglycemic patients.
The next step is to replace the water loss by
the ingestion of water, if possible, or by the
intravenous administration of 5% dextrose in
water. In order to calculate the amount of electrolyte-free water required to correct the hypernatremia, the volume of the total body water, or
60% of body weight, is utilized. For example,
before any loss of water, a 70-kg patient has 42
L of body fluids. If his/her plasma sodium concentration is 154 mEq/L or 10% higher than the
normal value of 140 mEq/L, the patients water
deficit equals 10% of the volume of 42 L. This
patient needs, over the next 24 hours, 4 L of
water by mouth or the same quantity of 5% dextrose in water intravenously (Table 3). Of
course, the water losses expected during this
period also must be replaced.
When osmotic diuresis induces hypernatremia, however, a half-isotonic saline solution
should be administered to correct the loss in the
urine. Finally, if a severe contraction of the
extracellular fluid volume produces significant
hypotension, a 0.9% sodium chloride solution
must first be rapidly administered to correct, at
least in part, this volume contraction.
A chronic hypernatremia cannot be corrected
at a rate faster than 0.5 mEq/L/hour to prevent
cerebral edema, intracranial hypertension and
herniation of the brain. In acute hypernatremia,
the intravenous administration of 5% dextrose
(or glucose) in water cannot exceed the rate of
its metabolism (around 300 ml/hour) to avoid a
severe hyperglycemia that is unresponsive to
insulin.3

Table 3

Example of Hypernatremia Treatment

Total body water (TBW) = 42 L (60% of body
weight)
Natremia = 154 mEq/L (10% rise)
Rx: 4 L (10% of TBW) of water or 5% dextrose
in water
Table 4

Etiology of Hyponatremia
With marked expansion and edema
-Congestive heart failure
-Hepatic cirrhosis
-Acute or chronic renal failure
With slight expansion (no edema): SIADH
With contraction and sodium loss
-Renal losses: diuretics
-Gastrointestinal losses
SIADH = syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic
hormone

Hyponatremia
Definition. Hyponatremia is present when plasma
sodium concentration is lower than 135 mEq/L,
representing an excess of water for the quantity of
sodium in the extracellular fluid.

Facing Chronic
Non-CancerRelated Pain
- see page 81
The Canadian Journal of CME / June 2001 53

Electrolyte Disorders

Table 5

Water and Sodium

Balances in Hyponatremia
Etiology

Water balance Sodium balance

Marked
expansion

SIADH

Contraction

Table 6

Treatment of Hyponatremia
With marked expansion and edema
-Reduce the ingestion of sodium
chloride and water
-Diuretics
With slight expansion (no edema): SIADH
-Reduce the ingestion of water
-Adequate amounts of sodium chloride
With contraction and sodium loss
-0.9% NaCl i.v. 100-125 ml/hour
NaCl = sodium chloride

Etiology. Hyponatremia is the most common

electrolyte disorder encountered in clinical practice and usually one of the following three categories can be identified (Table 4):
1. Hyponatremia with marked expansion and
edema. The obvious presence of edema indicates a significant expansion of the extracellular fluid volume and is observed in congestive heart failure, hepatic cirrhosis, and
acute or chronic renal failure.
2. Hyponatremia with slight expansion (no edema)
or syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidi54 The Canadian Journal of CME / June 2001

uretic hormone (SIADH). The absence of clinically detectable edema reflects a slight expansion
of the extracellular fluid volume, and is found in
SIADH. The inappropriate release of antidiuretic
hormone (ADH) is encountered with: various
diseases of the central nervous system; malignant
tumors, such as the oat cell lung carcinoma; several drugs; and during the pre- and post-operative
periods. For that reason, intravenous hypotonic
fluids should be avoided in post-operative
patients.4
3. Hyponatremia with contraction and sodium
loss. Clinical signs of contraction of the extracellular fluid volume include weakness, dizziness and orthostatic hypotension (postural drop
in arterial pressure). Diuretic-induced renal
losses and gastrointestinal losses from vomiting
or diarrhea are the most frequent causes.
Treatment. The category of hyponatremia
determines the appropriate treatment:5-7
1. Hyponatremia with marked expansion and
edema. In these patients, both sodium and water
balances are markedly increased (Table 5). The
progressive reduction of these two positive balances, therefore, is the aim of therapy. The
intake of sodium chloride and water should be
moderately restricted and their urinary excretion increased by loop diuretics (Table 6). Since
a reduced effective circulating volume results
in the nonosmotic stimulation of ADH, this
hyponatremia may be very difficult to treat.8
2. Hyponatremia with slight expansion (no edema)
or SIADH. In this condition, ADH-induced
water retention and volume expansion are
accompanied by a renal sodium loss. The underlying cause should be corrected if possible (e.g.,
the surgical removal of a lung carcinoma or the
stopping of the drug responsible). The simplest
way to correct hyponatremia is water restriction,
if the intake of sodium is adequate. If hyponatremia is symptomatic and more severe, a 3%

Electrolyte Disorders

Table 7

Table 8

Etiology of Hyperkalemia

Treatment of Hyperkalemia

Increased intake of potassium

-Orally or intravenously

Stop potassium and potassium-sparing

diuretics

Decreased renal excretion of potassium

-Renal failure
-Hypoaldosteronism
-Potassium-sparing diuretics
-Other drugs

Shift potassium into cells

-Regular insulin
-Sodium bicarbonate
-Beta2-adrenergics

Extracellular shift of potassium

-Metabolic acidosis
-Cell destruction
-Drugs
-Hormonal deficiency

sodium chloride hypertonic solution and small

doses of furosemide may be necessary.
3. Hyponatremia with contraction and sodium loss.
Both sodium and water balances are decreased in
these patients. The intravenous administration of
a 0.9% sodium chloride saline solution at the rate
of 100 ml/hour to 125 ml/hour usually restores
the extracellular volume and corrects hyponatremia within 24 hours. When severe hypotension is present, however, the isotonic saline solution should be given as rapidly as possible, with
the monitoring of hemodynamic parameters.
Finally, chronic and most often asymptomatic
hyponatremia should not be corrected at a rate
faster than 0.5 mEq/L/hour in order to avoid
osmotic demyelination syndrome, its devastating
neurologic sequelae and its high mortality rate.9-12
By contrast, an acute hyponatremia with brain
swelling, seizures and coma is life threatening,
and usually requires the intravenous administration of a hypertonic sodium chloride solution (3%
sodium chloride, containing 513 mEq of sodium
chloride per liter).1

Remove potassium from body fluids

-Furosemide
-Cation exchange resin
-Hemodialysis
Antagonize the cardiac effects of hyperkalemia
-Calcium gluconate

Electrolyte Disorders

Table 9

Table 10

Etiology of Hypokalemia

Treatment of Hypokalemia

Decreased intake of potassium

-orally or intravenously

Potassium chloride (KCl)

-20 mEq three to four times a day orally
-40 mEq/L i.v.

Increased excretion of potassium

-gastrointestinal: vomiting, gastric
suction, diarrhea, laxatives
-renal: diuretics, hyperaldosteronism,
diabetic ketoacidosis
Intracellular shift of potassium
-metabolic alkalosis
-excess of aldosterone, catecholamines,
insulin

Hyperkalemia
Definition. Hyperkalemia is characterized by a
plasma potassium concentration exceeding 5.0
mEq/L.
Etiology. Hyperkalemia results from changes in
the intake of, the excretion of, and from a shift of
potassium (Table 7):13-14

Electrolyte Disorders

1. Increased intake of potassium. Hyperkalemia is

observed with the ingestion of either potassium
supplements15 or salt substitutes, or with the
intravenous administration of a bolus of potassium chloride.
2. Decreased renal excretion of potassium is the
most frequent mechanism involved. Acute or
chronic renal failure, hypoaldosteronism and
potassium-sparing diuretics (e.g., spironolactone,
triamterene, amiloride) reduce the urinary excretion of potassium. Cyclosporin, trimethoprim,16
angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
and angiotensin II receptor antagonists also can
decrease the renal excretion of potassium. The
risk of hyperkalemia is increased by the presence
of a significant renal failure, especially when a

diabetic nephropathy is accompanied by

hyporeninemic hypoaldosteronism.17
3. Extracellular shift of potassium. Because 98%
of the potassium is intracellular, a shift of even
small amounts of potassium from the intracellular to the extracellular compartment
markedly increases kalemia, but not the total
body potassium. Accelerated transfer of potassium from the cells is observed in hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis with an excess of
inorganic acids, and with the destruction of red
blood cells during hemolysis and of muscle
cells during rhabdomyolysis. By contrast, the
cellular uptake of potassium is reduced by
drugs like succinylcholine during anesthesia
and by aldosterone deficiency, insulin deficien-

Electrolyte Disorders

cy and beta2-adrenergic blockade.

Treatment. Hyperkalemia is a life-threatening
electrolyte abnormality when it exceeds 6.5
mEq/L to 7.0 mEq/L or induces the characteristic
electrocardiogram (ECG) changes:18 disappearance of P wave; widening of QRS complex; and
symmetrical peaking of T wave. Once a laboratory error or pseudohyperkalemia resulting from
hemolysis, marked leukocytosis or thrombocytosis has been ruled out, an ECG is obtained (in
severe hyperkalemia). The treatment includes four
maneuvers (Table 8):19,20
1. Discontinue the oral or intravenous administration of potassium supplements, and also discontinue potassium-sparing diuretics and any
58 The Canadian Journal of CME / June 2001

other drug that induces hyperkalemia.

2. Shift potassium into cells by administering 10 to
20 units of regular insulin with the addition, in
the absence of hyperglycemia, of at least 100
grams of glucose: a bolus of 50% dextrose (25 g
in 50 ml) is followed by an infusion of 10% dextrose (100 g in a liter). The intravenous administration of 50 mEq to 100 mEq of sodium bicarbonate also is useful and can correct, at least in
part, the metabolic acidosis often present. In the
absence of acidosis, however, the amount given
is too small to induce a significant metabolic
alkalosis. Beta2-adrenergic agonists, such as
salbutamol, given intravenously or by inhalation
also decrease kalemia, but can induce cardiac

Electrolyte Disorders

arrhythmias.
3. Remove potassium from the body fluids by
three possible routes:
a. The urine by the administration of
furosemidea loop diureticincreasing the
urinary excretion of potassium.
b. The gastrointestinal tract with the sodium
salt of polystyrene sulfonate. This resin,
exchanging sodium for potassium in the lumen
of the gastrointestinal tract, can be given orally (20-30 g with sorbitol, a non-reabsorbable
alcohol, to prevent constipation and fecal
impaction) or as a retention enema (50-100 g
dissolved in 200 ml of water).
c. A potassium-free dialysate during an emergency hemodialysis, especially in the presence
of renal failure.
4. Antagonize the adverse cardiac effects of
hyperkalemia by the intravenous administration in three to five minutes of 10 ml to 20 ml
of 10% calcium gluconate under electrocardiographic monitoring, if possible.

Hypokalemia
Definition. Hypokalemia occurs when plasma
potassium concentration is lower than 3.5
mEq/L.21
Etiology. Changes in the intake, the excretion,
and a shift of potassium all act to induce
hypokalemia (Table 9):
1. Decreased intake of potassium. Hypokalemia
occurs with a very low intake of potassium, or
in the absence of potassium in the intravenous
solutions.
2. Increased excretion of potassium through the
gastrointestinal or urinary tracts. Excessive
gastrointestinal losses are observed with vomiting, nasogastric suction, diarrhea and laxative abuse. Use or abuse of loop (furosemide)
or distal (thiazides) diuretics are, by far, the

most common causes of hypokalemia,22,23

especially when the sodium intake is excessive. Renal losses of potassium also are
observed with primary or secondary hyperaldosteronism, diabetic ketoacidosis, renal tubular acidosis and drugs, such as amphotericin
B, carbenicillin and cisplatin.
3. Intracellular shift of potassium. A small shift
of potassium from the extracellular to the
intracellular compartment decreases kalemia,
but without any loss of potassium from the
body. This movement of potassium occurs
during metabolic alkalosis or with an excess
of aldosterone, catecholamines (in stress conditions) and insulin (during the treatment of

Electrolyte Disorders

diabetic ketoacidosis).
Treatment. Because body potassium is mostly
intracellular, a decreased kalemia only provides a
crude index of the potassium depletion. The
treatment of hypokalemia is mandatory in the
following conditions: a kalemia lower than 3.0
mEq/L; a muscle weakness reflecting severe
muscle depletion; a cardiac arrhythmia, especially in the presence of digitalis; and during the
treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis.
The safest replacement therapy, if possible, is
the oral administration of potassium chloride
supplements, at the dosage of 20 mEq three to
four times a day (Table 10). With a more severe
potassium depletion, the administration of potassium chloride in a peripheral vein is necessary,
but can induce either thrombophlebitis if the
potassium concentration in the solution exceeds
40 mEq/L, or fatal hyperkalemia if the amount
exceeds 1 mEq per minute. Potassium bicarbonate or potassium citrate, instead of potassium
chloride, should be given if hypokalemia is
accompanied by a severe metabolic acidosis. CME
References
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