Common Patterns of Water and Electrolyte Change in Injury, Surgery and Disease

Abstract

Water Intoxication Clinical setting and appearances. Acute water intoxication is encountered in postoperative patients who have been given too much water or other hypotonic solutions during their period of post-traumatic antidiuresis (Fig. 5). The route of administration is immaterial; this effect has been produced when the solutions were given by mouth, by vein, by clysis or by rectal infusion. Drowsiness and weakness are early symptoms, followed by coma and convulsions. Characteristic plasma pattern. A rapidly falling plasma sodium concentration, with a proportional change in total osmolality, characteristically coming on after trauma,‡ is the sign of water intoxication. The patient will . . .